FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) – A federal judge in Florida has ordered the destruction of video that allegedly shows New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft paying for massage parlor sex, according to court documents.
U.S. District Judge Rodolfo A. Ruiz II on Friday ruled that the videos of Kraft and other customers must be wiped from existence.
The Jupiter police surveillance was deemed unlawful, the South Florida Sun Sentinel reported.
Kraft’s attorneys had argued that the billionaire feared the tapes of him in the nude would be publicized on the internet.
A misdemeanor solicitation charge against Kraft was dropped in September after an appeals court ruled that video evidence couldn’t be used in the case.
Kraft, 79, and others were charged in February 2019 in a multicounty investigation of massage parlors.
The investigation included the secret installation of video cameras in the spas’ lobbies and rooms.
Police say the recordings show Kraft and other men engaging in sex acts with women and paying them.
Police say they recorded Kraft, a widower, paying for sex acts at the Orchids of Asia spa on consecutive days in January 2019.
Kraft pleaded not guilty but issued a public apology for his actions.
Kraft: “I am truly sorry”
Full statement, March 2019
“In deference to the judicial process, I have remained silent these past several weeks. To correct some of the misinformation surrounding this matter, my attorney made his first public comments on Friday night. I would like to use this opportunity to say something that I have wanted to say for four weeks.
“I am truly sorry. I know I have hurt and disappointed my family, my close friends, my co-workers, our fan and many others who rightfully hold me to a higher standard.
“Throughout my life, I have 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 should were shaped by the most wonderful woman, the love of my life, who I was blessed to have as a partner for 50 years.
“As I move forward, I hope to continue to use the platform with which I have been blessed to help others and to try to make a difference. I expect to be judged not by my words but by my actions. And through those actions, I hope to regain your confidence and your respect.”