A Connecticut socialite has pleaded guilty to inappropriately filming minors as part of a mysterious plea deal in which other more serious child sex abuse charges were dropped.
Hadley Palmer, 53, is a mother-of-four, financier’s wife and the daughter of a wealthy hedge fund founder. She lives in Belle Haven, Connecticut, in a $10million home and has four kids with her estranged husband Bradley.
Palmer is a regular on the Connecticut social scene and is regularly photographed at charity events but in October last year, she was arrested on charges of felony voyeurism, felony invasion of privacy and felony causing injury to a child.
The voyeurism charge against her involved recording someone, naked or in their underwear, without their consent or knowledge, with ‘intent to arouse or satisfy the sexual desire of such person (defendant) or any other person.’
It related to an incident in 2017 and 2018.
More serious charges of employing a minor in an obscene performance, a Class A felony, and possession of child pornography, were on the table.
The case has only just been brought to light by matter of the plea deal – one of the only publicly available documents in the case. It was reported by The Associated Press – which has been fighting to make the story public – on Monday.
After her arrest in October, Palmer filed an application for a special probation program known as ‘accelerated rehabilitation’ which immediately sealed the file. She then negotiated a deal with prosecutors, in which they will drop the more serious charges in exchange for her pleading guilty to the voyeurism.
Now, she has begun a recommended 90 day sentence at a women’s prison in Connecticut while awaiting formal sentencing in August. She will also have to sign the sex offender’s registry if the deal is accepted.
Hadley Palmer, 53, is a mother-of-four, financier’s wife and the daughter of a wealthy hedge fund owner. She is shown in her mugshot from October, after being arrested for filming minors sexually in her home
She lives in Belle Haven, Connecticut, in a $10million home and has four kids with her estranged husband Bradley (shown). She filed for divorce in 2020. He has not commented on her arrest
The alleged abuse happened at this Connecticut mansion in 2017 and 2018 (the property is shown under construction before the family moved in)
Prosecutor Daniel Cummings has not commented publicly on the case and much of it remains unknown.
Child psychologist Dr. Jerome Brodlie was charged for failing to report the alleged abuse
Judge John Blawie, in Stamford, ruled Thursday that the entire file should be sealed to protect the victims’ identity and that opening it while redacting some of the documents would inevitably lead to the minor victims’ being identified.
‘Between 2017 and 2018, the defendant knowingly photographed, filmed and recorded certain individuals without their knowledge or consent, and under circumstances where those individuals were not in plain view, and had a reasonable expectation of privacy, and at least one photograph taken by the defendant depicted a person who was a minor,’ he wrote.
Legal experts tell the Associated Press – whose reporters opposed the seal – that it was a highly unusual move for her file to be sealed immediately and many say she did not even qualify for accelerated rehabilitation.
They are demanding to know why she has been able to hide from public view, when other defendants have not.
Palmer is due in court on August 1 for sentencing.
The plea deal suggests she should serve 90 days to five years in prison.
Property records indicate the Palmer family also owns this property in nearby Old Greenwich, CT
The lakeside home in Old Greenwich is worth $3million, according to property records
The family also own this property on Martha’s Vineyard where in 2018, kids held a house party and used it as their base to vandalize other properties on the posh island
It remains unclear what led to her arrest last October. The New York Times first reported it today, along with details of the plea deal.
According to that report, both she and the minor victims involved asked the judge to seal the case.
Along with Palmer, a psychologist has also been charged in the case for failing to report what she is alleged to have done.
Dr. Jerome Brodlie was charged with intentionally not reporting Palmer’s alleged crimes to the authorities – as he is legally bound to do.
Hadley Palmer filed for divorce from her financier husband Bradley in June 2020. It is unclear if their divorce has been finalized.
The pair are understood to have four kids together, including one who is 19. The ages of the other children are not known.
Property records put place Palmer in the family’s $10million home in Belle Haven, Connecticut, at the time of the alleged crimes in 2017 and 2018.
She also has a property nearby, on the water, for an estimated $3million.
Her kids went to prestigious private schools like The Wharton School, and she was popular on the Connecticut social circuit.
Bradley Palmer did not respond to messages on Monday.
***
Read more at DailyMail.co.uk