A billionaire fast food tycoon has only received a “light punishment” despite secretly recording hundreds of nude videos of au pairs using hidden cameras.
Michael Esposito, 35, owner of three La Rosa Grill restaurants in New York, was ordered by a Manhattan jury to pay $2.78 million (£2.09 million) in damages to 28-year-old au pair Kelly Andrade.
The Colombian-born nanny discovered a camera hidden in a smoke detector in a bedroom of the Esposito family’s $800,000 (£600,000) home on Staten Island.
The device contained “hundreds of recordings” showing her nude and partially nude.
The au pair claimed that when Esposito realized she had found the device, he tried to break down her door.
Derek Smith Law Office
Andrade, initially excited to work in the US and learn English, became suspicious when she noticed Esposito frequently adjusting the smoke detector in her room. Upon closer inspection, she discovered a hidden camera.
“I was angry because the damage he did to me is irreparable,” Andrade told the New York Post.
The au pair claimed that when Esposito realized she had found the device, he tried to break down her door.
Fearing for his life, Andrade escaped through a window and fled to a nearby police station.
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Fast food mogul Michael Esposito owns three LaRosa Grill restaurants.
Esposito was arrested on March 24, 2021, and charged with unlawful surveillance, a charge that carries a possible prison sentence of up to four years.
Despite the severity of his actions, Esposito avoided jail time: He pleaded guilty to a second-degree felony charge of unlawful surveillance, but after completing a year of counseling, the charge was reduced to a misdemeanor.
The suspension has drawn criticism, particularly from Andrade’s lawyer, who described it as a “light punishment” and said it was “not enough given what I have been through over the last three years.”
In a civil lawsuit, a Manhattan jury awarded Andrade $780,000 (£588,000) in emotional damages to Michael and his wife, Danielle Esposito, and an additional $2 million (£1.5 million) in punitive damages to Michael Esposito.
Andrade’s lawyer, John Mac Cohen, said his client was pleased with the civil judgment.
“I hope that Ms. Andrade’s case will inspire other victims of sexual harassment to come forward and seek justice just as Ms. Andrade did,” he added.
The Espositos’ lawyer, Michael Gervasi, said the couple are “considering all of their options post-verdict, including an appeal.”
