Prosecutors of the Robert Kraft prostitution scandal conceded in court on Friday that they don’t have enough evidence to prove their initial claims of a human trafficking ring in operation at the Orchids of Asia Day Spa – despite a six month surveillance operation.
The statement came during a courtroom hearing yesterday in which Kraft’s attorneys were attending to request that a video allegedly showing Kraft naked and engaging in sexual acts be kept out of public view.
Since February, police have consistently said they suspected a trafficking ring was in operation across a number of massage parlors across Palm Beach and Orlando, including the Orchids of Asia.
Authorities issued hundreds of arrest warrants as part of a six month investigation that saw police plant hidden cameras both inside and outside of the business, in Jupiter.
Prosecutors of Robert Kraft conceded in a courtroom on Friday that they lack the required evidence to back up their previous claims of a human trafficking ring in operation at the Florida spa the billionaire allegedly solicited sexual acts in
Authorities issued hundreds of arrest warrants as part of a six month investigation that saw police plant hidden cameras both inside and outside of the business, in Jupiter, Florida
Previously prosecutors have said their use of subterfuge was justified by their suspicions of trafficking, but on Friday the state attorneys – led by David Aronberg – disclosed the extensive operation uncovered no such evidence.
‘No one is being charged with human trafficking. There is no human trafficking that arises out of this investigation,’ Assistant State Attorney Greg Kridos said.
The attorneys of the 77-year-old billionaire have long asserted that investigators knew from the beginning there was no human trafficking procedure in place, calling into question the legitimacy of their investigation.
Led by David Aronberg (above), the prosecution say their six month surveillance operation failed to find evidence of trafficking
‘They have now for weeks and weeks been politicking on this trafficking thing,’ attorney Alex Spiro told the courtroom. ‘They’re using the threat of nudity in a video to prevent Mr. Kraft from having a fair trial, from having a fair hearing.’
Last month, another of Kraft’s attorneys, William Burck, said Martin County Sheriff Will Snyder – who oversaw some of the operation – is more interested in his five minutes of fame than he is in securing justice.
Burck accused Snyder of lying to and misleading the public about the details of the trafficking probe that legally implicated Kraft and over 300 others.
‘He lied about it,’ Buck said. ‘His officers lied about it. I don’t really know what to say. I’ve never seen anything quite like that before.’
Kridos – and Snyder – however, say the case reflected all the typical appearances of human trafficking and believe police had an obligation to investigate their suspicions.
And on January 19 and 20, police say they recorded Kraft paying for sexual acts, leading to the arrest of the owner and manager of the business on prostitution charges.
During a separate hearing on Friday, spa manager Lei Wang (top left) pleaded with the court to block any of the videos from being released
Kraft’s attorneys say releasing video of the alleged sexual acts would deny his client the right to a fair trial
But Kraft has protested his innocence and pleaded not guilty to soliciting prostitution, and requested a trial set for May.
In support of the client, Kraft’s attorneys believe his constitutional right to privacy has been violated by investigators and have urged the courtroom not to make videos of the alleged evidence public.
Judge Hanser didn’t rule on the motion on Friday. He said he will review each of the three videos involving Kraft in private before coming to a decision – possibly next week.
Each bench were also asked to submit arguments for which way he should rule by Tuesday.
The prosecution team told Hanser they had already conducted their own investigations into the videos and have no problem with them being made public.
But Burck argued the footage is ‘basically pornography’ and there is no rational to release the footage unless for ‘prurient interests’.
Furthermore, he argued releasing the footage would deny his client a constitutional right to a fair trial.
‘The saying that a picture’s worth a thousand words, a video’s worth a billion in this particular instance. The media that’s here, this video will be broadcast around the world,’ Burck said.
During a separate hearing on Friday, spa manager Lei Wang pleaded with the court to block any of the videos from being released.
Wang faces one felony count and 28 misdemeanor charges centered on allegations of prostitution.
Circuit Judge Joseph Marx scheduled a hearing for April 17 but didn’t plan to make a decision until Hanser issues his ruling.