The horrifying case of Colombian nanny who was secretly filmed nude by her boss

What began as a promising job opportunity in New York quickly spiralled into a nightmare for 25-year-old Colombian nanny Kelly Andrade.

Just weeks of service to the ultra-rich family, Andrade uncovered a shocking reality: her employer had secretly recorded “hundreds” of hours of footage featuring her in the nude, including many instances of her “nude and/or dressing/undressing,” as stated in her lawsuit.

Feeling “petrified,” the young au pair fled her employer’s home in fear and subsequently took legal action against fast-food mogul Michael Esposito. Recently, a Manhattan jury awarded her $2.7 million in damages, yet Andrade remains outraged that her millionaire boss faced only a “slap on the wrist” from prosecutors.

Here’s how this disturbing saga unfolded.

‘Hundreds of recordings’

In 2021, Kelly Andrade flew from Colombia to New York to work as an au pair for the four children of Michael Esposito, a 35-year-old owner of three LaRosa Grill franchises, and his wife, Danielle, as reported by the New York Post.

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Prior to her arrival in the US, Andrade underwent extensive training through Cultural Care Au Pair, a placement firm that got her a job with the affluent Esposito family. The couple was staying at Danielle’s parents’ waterfront home in Tottenville, Staten Island, while their $2.3 million mansion was undergoing renovations.

As time passed, Andrade began to feel uneasy about her employer. She noticed that he frequently tinkered with the ceiling smoke alarm in her bedroom and “was constantly being repositioned."

Less than three weeks into her job, Andrade decided to inspect the smoke detector and discovered a tiny camera hidden inside, complete with a memory card filled with “hundreds of recordings,” many showing her “nude and/or dressing/undressing,” she charged in the lawsuit.

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“Within minutes” of her discovery, Esposito arrived at the house. “He seemed very nervous and he seemed very worried when he arrived to the house,” she recalled.

Attempting to create distance, Andrade pretended to be asleep, but the dad-of-four began “banging on the door,” prompting her to enter “fight or flight mode,” she told The New York Post.

“I need to get away,” she recounted, fearing for her safety. Believing he might be armed, she leapt from the first-floor window, injuring her knees in the process. She spent the rest of the night hiding in a bush on the street.

The following morning, the nanny reported the incident to the police, leading to Esposito’s arrest on March 24, 2021, on charges of unlawful surveillance, a felony punishable by up to four years in prison.

‘Slap on the wrist’

In April 2022, Staten Island businessman Michael Esposito “entered into a two-step plea.”

After completing a year of counselling, he was allowed to withdraw his felony plea and instead pled to attempted unlawful surveillance, a misdemeanour, resulting in just two years of probation, according to the Staten Island District Attorney’s office.

During the four-day civil trial this month in Brooklyn Federal Court, Kelly Andrade testified for three days, while Esposito never took the stand. Andrade expressed she was “in shock” merely being in the same room as him, as reported by The New York Post.

Her attorney, Zachary Holzberg, pointed out the lack of consequences for Esposito, stating, “who got probation…a slap on the wrist.” He emphasised, “Despite him doing this, he got to go home to his wife and children in their mansion and she’s sleeping on the street.”

The jury ultimately awarded Andrade $780,000 in emotional distress damages against both Michael and Danielle Esposito, along with $2 million in punitive damages against Michael, bringing the total to $2.8 million.

“It’s not enough for the whole situation I’ve been through these three years. It’s not enough,” Andrade told the New York Post, voicing her frustration. “I was angry because the damage that he caused me is irreversible.”

Now living in New Jersey with her husband of two years, Andrade is determined to speak out “to encourage many au pairs and also immigrants who have been victims of abuse. Don’t keep quiet. Don’t be afraid to report your aggressor.”

With input from agencies