New York, NY — A Manhattan jury recently awarded $2.78 million to Kelly Andrade, a Colombian au pair who endured psychological trauma after being covertly filmed by Michael Esposito, a Staten Island businessman and franchise owner, in his home. Despite the significant monetary award, Andrade expressed frustration with the criminal justice system, which she feels offered her aggressor a lenient consequence.
In 2021, Andrade, then 25, discovered hidden cameras in her bedroom placed by Esposito, 35, who was recording her without her consent. This discovery led to his arrest on felony charges of unlawful surveillance, which could carry up to four years in prison. However, the local justice system saw Esposito sentenced to two years probation after undergoing counseling, a punishment Andrade and her legal representative deemed insufficient.
The incident took place while Andrade was employed by Esposito, who owns multiple LaRosa Grill franchises, and his wife Danielle. They were residing temporarily in Danielle’s parents’ waterfront home in Tottenville, Staten Island, while their nearby mansion underwent renovations. As part of her job, Andrade lived in the house, caring for the couple’s four children.
Suspicious from the outset, Andrade noticed Esposito fiddling with the ceiling smoke detector, which housed the clandestine camera. The situation escalated when she found the device, capturing “hundreds of recordings” of her in private moments according to her litigation filed in Brooklyn Federal Court.
Immediately following her discovery, Esposito rushed home upon realizing Andrade had detected the camera. Fearing for her safety, Andrade attempted to hide and eventually fled the house via a first-floor window, injuring her knee during the escape. The distressing ordeal culminated in her spending her first night away hiding in the bushes, too afraid to immediately seek help.
The broken trust had deep psychological ramifications on Andrade, whose testimony spanned three days at the ensuing four-day civil trial. She described the experience as harrowing, emphasizing the emotional scars left by the invasion of her privacy.
The trial concluded with the jury ruling against Esposito, hitting him with $780,000 in damages for emotional distress alongside $2 million in punitive damages. This verdict was seen by some legal analysts as a strong rebuke of both the act and the perceived judicial leniency.
Speaking after the trial, Andrade revealed her continued struggle with the trauma of the events. The case has had significant emotional and physical impacts on her, complicating her process of healing even as she tries to move past the experiences. Today, Andrade resides in New Jersey with her husband and remains vocal about her ordeal, urging other victims of abuse, particularly immigrants and au pairs, to come forward and seek justice.
Apart from the trial against the Espositos, Andrade settled a lawsuit with Cultural Care Au Pair, the agency that placed her with the Esposito family, for an undisclosed sum last month, further closing a challenging chapter of her life.
While the legal battles have concluded, the broader conversation regarding the safety and rights of domestic workers, particularly those from abroad, continues. Advocates for au pairs have called for more stringent regulations and oversight of host families and placement agencies to prevent such abuses in the future.