Judge Orders Video in Robert Kraft Massage Parlor Case Be Destroyed

A federal judge in Florida ordered videos allegedly showing New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft at the Orchids of Asia Day Spa to be destroyed, according to the Sun Sentinel's Marc Freeman.

The decision comes after a ruling that surveillance video captured by police in Jupiter, Florida, was unlawful. In the wake of that ruling, prosecutors dropped charges of soliciting prostitution against Kraft in September.

Police arrested Kraft in February 2019 as part of a prostitution sting. Per a CNN report, authorities had footage showing him arriving at the spa and exchanging payment at the front desk, at which point he is escorted to a massage room.

"A female employee can be seen on the video manipulating his genitals and later wiping Kraft's genitals with a towel, according to the affidavit."

Kraft allegedly returned to the spa the following day.

Months after his arrest, Kraft's attorneys argued a judge initially erred in allowing the use of a "sneak and peek" warrant to set up the surveillance cameras at the spa. The video evidence was thrown out of the case in May 2019.

In August, a Florida appeals court deemed the tactic to have violated Kraft's constitutional rights.

Frank A. Shepherd, William Burck and Alex Spiro, who represented, stressed the importance of destroying the videos altogether.

"Considering that the Videos never should have been created according to judicial rulings that are binding and conclusive, the Videos should be destroyed so that they can never be subject to any misuse, intentional or otherwise," they said, per Freeman.

Freeman reported anonymous plaintiffs had filed a civil suit, saying they had been recorded while receiving traditional massages. That held up the final ruling on the destruction of the surveillance footage. The videos had previously been sealed and kept away from the public.