Millionaire boss caught filming nude videos of nanny on hidden camera

A young au pair has been awarded a staggering sum after her millionaire boss secretly recorded her “naked” while working in his mansion.

A live-in nanny who claims she was left “petrified” after discovering she’d been secretly videotaped by her millionaire boss has been awarded a $4 million payout.

Kelly Andrade, 25, had been living with Michael Esposito, 35, and his family at their lavish multimillion-dollar New York home while caring for his four children.

But the Colombia-born woman’s job for the fast-food chicken mogul came to an abrupt end after the unsuspecting child carer found a camera hidden in a smoke detector in her bedroom.

After discovering the secret recording device, Esposito attempted to force her door, leaving Ms Andrade “cowering in terror”, according to court documents obtained by the New York Post.

He was taken into custody in 2021 on suspicion of illegal surveillance after allegedly recording “hundreds” of nude videos of the nanny, a crime that carries a maximum four-year prison sentence.

But Esposito has avoided jail under the condition that he complete two years of probation and counselling, The US Sun reported.

Kelly Andrade has won a $4m payout after her millionaire boss recorded her in the nude on a hidden camera. Picture: Derek Smith Law Group

Michael Esposito, who owns three fried chicken restaurants, admitted unlawful surveillance. Picture: Derek Smith Law Group

Ms Andrade was awarded $US2.78million (about $4 million Australian dollars) by the Manhattan jury – but the child carer feels her ex-boss has only received a “slap on the wrist”.

“It’s not enough for the whole situation I’ve been through these three years. It’s not enough.

“I was angry because the damage that he caused me is irreversible,” Ms Andrade told the New York Post.

She was less than three weeks into the job when she examined the smoke detector and found a camera inside with a memory card that was filled with “hundreds of recordings”.

Prior to this, the nanny said she saw Esposito frequently in her room tinkering with the ceiling smoke detector, which “was constantly being re-positioned” according to the lawsuit.

Many of the videos had captured her “nude” or in a state of “dressing and undressing”.

“Within minutes” of her finding the device, Esposito showed up at the house, she previously recalled to the New York Post.

“He seemed very nervous and he seemed very worried when he arrived to the house.”

Ms Andrade said she tried to pretend to be asleep to get Esposito to leave, but he was “banging on the door” and she entered “fight or flight mode”.

Desperately feeling as if she “needed to get away,” she jumped from a first-floor window, injuring her knee in the process.

There were allegedly ‘hundreds’ of recordings of Ms Andrade ‘nude’ or in a state of ‘dressing and undressing’. Picture: Derek Smith Law Group

The first night after leaving the Espositos, Ms Andrade “slept on the street in a bush,” her lawyer, Zachary Holzberg, told the outlet.

She then reported the incident to police, who arrested Esposito on March 24, 2021, with the businessman negotiating a “two-step plea” in April 2022.

Esposito “was permitted” to withdraw his felony plea and enter one of attempted unlawful surveillance – a misdemeanour, with only two years of probation – after “successfully completing” a year of counselling, according to the Staten Island District Attorney’s office.

Ms Andrade said she wanted Esposito to be imprisoned and gave three days of testimony during the four-day civil trial held in Brooklyn Federal Court this month.

She is said to be “in shock” just from being in the same room as Esposito, although he never took the stand, the New York Post added.

The South American woman leapt from a first floor window when Espositos attempted to confront her after she found the camera. Picture: Derek Smith Law Group

Espositos and his wife Danielle had hired the young nanny to care for their four children. Picture: Derek Smith Law Group

Her lawyer claimed that “there was no consequence” for the chicken franchise boss, “who got probation… a slap on the wrist”.

“Despite him doing this, he got to go home to is wife and children in their mansion and she’s sleeping on the street,” he added.

The jury awarded $2 million (almost $3m in Australian dollars) in punitive damages against the dad, and a further $US780,000 ($A1,146,000) in emotional distress damages.

The Colombian, who lives in New Jersey with her husband of two years, said she’s now focused on recovering after from the trial, as she had to “relive” moments she’s been trying to forget.

She added that she is speaking out to encourage other au pairs and immigrants who have been “victims of abuse”.

Ms Andrade also filed a claim with Cultural Care Au Pair last month for an undisclosed fee, according to court documents.

The South American woman had been matched with Esposito, the owner of three LaRosa Grill franchises, and his wife, Danielle, by the agency prior to travelling the US.

She also completed hundreds of hours of training before being assigned to a job by the company.

Originally published as Millionaire boss caught filming nude videos of nanny on hidden camera