A wealthy socialite from New York whose father is in charge of a hedge fund has been convicted of voyeurism and child endangerment, with the ruling of her case receiving criticism on Tuesday, Feb. 15, for being sealed from the public by the court.
Details behind 53-year-old New York socialite Hadley Palmer’s conviction of voyeurism and child endangerment have been scarce, with the Associated Press criticizing the court for how it seemed to show preferential treatment to Palmer, according to the New York Post.
However, the court has pushed back on this portrayal, with the judge who gave the ruling to seal the files saying that it was done to protect the minors involved in the case, the New York Times reported.
“If the defendant may be considered as having thrust herself into the public spotlight by virtue of her wrongful behavior and subsequent prosecution, the same may not be said of those parties already adversely impacted by this case,” Judge John F. Blawie said.
Palmer reportedly pleaded guilty to voyeurism and child endangerment in exchange for the dropping of the two more serious charges against her: possession of child pornography and employment of a minor in an obscene performance.
She reportedly filmed minors in her $10-million home in Greenwich in sexually-compromised positions, with one of her three victims being under 15 when the video had been taken.
Palmer will have to register as a sex offender after she is released from her prison sentence, which is believed to be somewhere between 90 days and 60 months. If the judge deems it necessary, Palmer’s sex offender status can also be sealed from the public.
“The appearance is almost as if this is a second-tier of justice, where some people keep things secret,” Associated Press reported Dave Collins said. “The public needs to know how these cases are handled and adjudicated. Everybody else’s case is online. Why isn’t Mrs. Palmer’s case?”
In relation to this case, the Greenwich Police Department also arrested 83-year-old child psychologist Dr. Jerome F. Brodlie, who was arrested in December and charged with failure to report the neglect, abuse, or injury of a child.
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