A Florida court of appeal ruled on Wednesday that police violated the rights of Robert Kraft during their investigation into whether he and several others were guilty of soliciting prostitution. The court cited the fourth amendment, which protects citizens of the United States against unreasonable searches and seizures.
The appeal centres around a secret video that allegedly shows Kraft and others paying for sex services in a massage parlour. The recordings have been banned from use at trial, leaving the prosecution weakened. There is the possibility of appealing the court’s decision to the state supreme court, but in the event the verdict is not overruled, the prosecution would be forced to drop the case for lack of evidence.
A case against the owners and employers of the Orchids of Asia spa is still free to go ahead, as the prosecution holds incriminating evidence besides the tapes against them.
Kraft was first charged in February 2019 after he was allegedly caught as part of a multi-county investigation of massage parlour prostitution. The investigation involved hiding secret cameras around various parlours, which the prosecutions says show Kraft paying staff in receipt of sexual services more than once.
The Patriots owner pleaded not guilty to the charges but issued a public statement apologising for the scandal.
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