US nanny awarded $2.78 million in damages after millionaire boss caught secretly filming her in bedroom

US nanny (Credit: New York Post)

A New York court has ordered Michael Esposito, a millionaire from Staten Island and owner of three LaRosa Grill franchises, to pay $2.78 million to Kelly Andrade, a Colombian immigrant who worked as a live-in nanny for his family.

Andrade had discovered a hidden camera in her bedroom’s smoke detector, which had secretly recorded her for weeks. While the jury’s financial award was intended to compensate Andrade for emotional distress and impose punitive damages on Esposito, Andrade expressed dissatisfaction, calling the amount insufficient for the trauma she endured.

Andrade had moved from Colombia to the U.S. in 2021 after being placed with the Esposito family through the Cultural Care Au Pair agency. She was hired to care for Esposito and his wife Danielle’s four children, while living with Danielle’s parents in Staten Island while their mansion was being renovated.

Initially hopeful about the position, Andrade quickly grew suspicious of Esposito’s behavior. She noticed that Esposito frequently entered her room to adjust the smoke detector, often appearing anxious and uneasy.

After less than three weeks on the job, Andrade decided to inspect the smoke detector and made a shocking discovery: a small hidden camera inside. The memory card in the device contained "hundreds of recordings," many of which showed her in vulnerable states, such as undressing. Horrified, Andrade immediately understood that she had been secretly recorded by Esposito without her consent.

Her fear intensified when Esposito arrived at the house shortly after her discovery. Andrade, terrified that Esposito might harm her, pretended to be asleep as he banged on her bedroom door. Fearing for her safety, she jumped out of her first-floor window, injuring her knees in her escape.