Florida prosecutors announced on Wednesday that they intend to release surveillance footage from inside the Orchids fo Asia Day Spa where Robert Kraft and dozens of others allegedly paid for sex
Florida prosecutors announced Wednesday they intend to release surveillance footage from inside the Orchids of Asia Day Spa where Robert Kraft and dozens of others allegedly paid for sex.
Palm Beach County State Attorney Dave Aronberg’s office reportedly cited a state law in arguing the release of the tapes cannot be further delayed unless they are barred from being made public by a judge, The Boston Globe reports.
The tapes' release has been strongly contested by the lawyer for Lei Wang, who allegedly managed Orchids of Asia Day Spa, and the attorney for Robert Kraft, William Burck, who said last week the footage should not be made public because "it's basically pornography." He added the only reason the videos would be made public is "to get eyeballs and clicks."
Wang's lawyer attempted to argue the release of the videos be held off until the conclusion of criminal proceedings against his client, but Aronberg's office isn't backing down.
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“As the custodian of the records, [prosecutors] cannot delay the release of records to allow a person to raise a constitutional challenge to the release of the documents,” the office reportedly wrote. “The Public Records Act does not allow a custodian to delay the production of records to allow the resolution of a constitutional challenge to the release of the documents.”
Therefore, if the videos are released, it will be through the criminal case against Wang, not Kraft.
Kraft, 77, is facing two misdemeanor charges for soliciting prostitution, as a result of his alleged visitations to Orchids of Asia Day spa on Jan. 19 and Jan. 20. During his second visit, the billionaire is said to have engaged in sexual activity with Wang.
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Kraft, who owns the New England Patriots, rejected a plea deal and pleaded not guilty to the charges against him. He released a public statement apologizing for his actions and said that throughout his life he has "always tried to do the right thing."
“The last thing I would ever want to do is disrespect another human being. I have extraordinary respect for women; my morals and my soul were shaped by the most wonderful woman, the love of my life, who I was blessed to have as my partner for 50 years," he said of his late wife Myra Hiatt Kraft. In 2012, he began dating 39-year-old actress and model Nicki Noel Lander.
At least 15 men, including Kraft, have requested that Judge Leonard Hanser issue protective orders blocking the public release of the video, but he has yet to make a decision on that issue.
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A hearing on the release of the videos has been set for May 17.
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