New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft cleared of ‘Orchids of Asia’ massage parlour sex charge
- Prosecutors drop charge after courts blocked use of video footage from cameras secretly installed by police
- Owner and manager of Orchids of Asia Day Spa still face numerous felony charges related to running a house of prostitution
Florida prosecutors dropped a misdemeanour charge against New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft on Thursday after courts blocked their use of video that allegedly shows him paying for massage parlour sex.
Palm Beach County court records show that the charge was dropped on Thursday. Palm Beach State Attorney Dave Aronberg will explain the decision during an online press conference later in the day.
Court records show that the owner and manager of the Orchids of Asia Day Spa are still facing numerous felony charges related to running a house of prostitution.
The Florida 4th District Court of Appeal found last month that Jupiter police violated the rights of Kraft and the other customers when they secretly installed video cameras inside massage rooms at the spa in early 2019. The court then blocked use of the video footage at trial.
The recordings, which have not been made public, are the only known evidence the men paid for sex. Of the other 21 men charged, 14 cases were dropped Thursday and three were dropped earlier, court records show. Two men went through a diversion programme, paying more than US$5,000 in costs. One pleaded guilty last year and paid US$323 in court costs.
