A millionaire fast food mogul has walked away with a “slap on the wrist” after secretly recording hundreds of nude videos of his au pair using a hidden camera.
Michael Esposito, 35, who owns three LaRosa Grill restaurants in New York, was ordered to pay $2.78million (£2.09million) in damages to 28-year-old au pair Kelly Andrade by a Manhattan jury.
The Colombian-born nanny had discovered a camera hidden in her bedroom’s smoke detector at the Esposito family’s $800,000 (£600,000) Staten Island home.
The device contained “hundreds of recordings” showing her nude or partially dressed.
The au pair claimed Esposito tried to break down her door when he realised she had found the device
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Andrade, who was initially thrilled to work in the US and learn English, became suspicious after noticing Esposito frequently adjusting the smoke detector in her room. Upon closer inspection, she discovered the hidden camera.
“I was angry because the damage that he caused me is irreversible,” Andrade told the New York Post.
The au pair claimed Esposito tried to break down her door when he realised she had found the device.
Fearing for her safety, Andrade escaped through a window and fled to a nearby police station.
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Fast food mogul Michael Esposito owns a trio of LaRosa Grill restaurants
Esposito was arrested on March 24 , 2021, and charged with unlawful surveillance, which carries a maximum sentence of four years.
Despite the severity of his actions, Esposito avoided jail time. He pleaded guilty to a second-degree felony charge of unlawful surveillance, which was later reduced to a misdemeanour after completing one year of counselling.
The punishment has drawn criticism, not least from Andrade’s attorney, who described it as a “slap on the wrist”, stating: “It’s not enough for the whole situation I’ve been through these three years.”
In the civil lawsuit, a Manhattan jury awarded Andrade $780,000 (£588,000) in emotional distress damages against both Michael and his wife Danielle Esposito, plus $2million (£1.5million) in punitive damages against Michael Esposito alone.
Andrade’s attorney, Johnmack Cohen, said his client was satisfied with the civil verdict.
He added: “We hope that Ms. Andrade’s case will inspire other sexual harassment victims to speak up and seek justice as Ms. Andrade was able to do.”
The Espositos’ lawyer, Michael Gervasi, stated the couple “are exploring all post-verdict options, including an appeal.”
Source Agencies
