Prosecutor: No Evidence Of Human Trafficking At Florida Spa In Robert Kraft Case
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (CBS) -- As New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft's defense team and lawyers for media outlets argued over whether video from inside a Florida massage parlor should be released, a prosecutor said Friday that there is no evidence of human trafficking in the case.
Assistant State Attorney for Palm Beach County Greg Kidos said in court that when the investigation began back in October, the case "had all the appearances of human trafficking." But he said no one caught on video in the Orchids of Asia Day Spa in Jupiter, Florida will face human trafficking charges, and that the investigation is no longer ongoing.
"We've vetted this case, we've done our due diligence, there is no human trafficking that arises out of this investigation," he said.
Kraft is among 25 people who allegedly paid for sex acts in the massage parlor. He has pleaded not guilty to prostitution charges.
Attorneys for different media outlets said there's no reason to suppress the video that allegedly catches Kraft in the act. Public records law in Florida gives the media access to all records and evidence in court cases.
But lawyers for Kraft say his right to privacy and his right to a fair trial would be negatively impacted by release of the video.
"It's basically pornography," attorney William Burck told a judge. "Why would anyone need to see that kind of material. . . the world to see it, especially when it's described in painstaking detail by the affidavit?"
The judge did not issue a ruling on Friday. A trial is set to begin April 26.
