A live-in nanny has been awarded $2.78 million in damages after her employer secretly recorded her using a hidden camera disguised as a smoke alarm in his Staten Island home.
Hidden Camera Discovery and Legal Battle
Kelly Andrade, 25, sued Michael Esposito, a 35-year-old fast-food franchise owner, for filming her while she lived in his home. She discovered the camera, which contained “hundreds” of nude recordings, after noticing Esposito frequently tampering with the smoke detector in her bedroom.
Esposito was arrested after Andrade claimed he attempted to break down her door upon realizing she had found the hidden device. A Manhattan jury awarded Andrade $780,000 in emotional distress damages and $2,000,000 in punitive damages.
Legal and Emotional Consequences
Esposito faced charges of illegal surveillance but avoided jail time, receiving probation and mandatory counseling. Andrade expressed frustration with the lenient punishment, calling the emotional and psychological damage she suffered irreversible.
Her lawsuit highlighted her journey as an au pair, coming to the U.S. to learn English and work, only to endure this invasion of privacy.
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