FORT LAUREDALE, Fla. -- A two-year-old videotape of Robert Kraft, New England Patriots owner, and others allegedly engaging in masseuse sex will be returned by prosecutors to destruction, a Florida judge ruled Friday. This ends a scandal that has tarnished one of football's most prominent luminaries.Leonard Hanser, a Palm Beach County judge, agreed with Kraft's lawyers that the recording he received before he declared it inadmisible at trial was not part the permanent court files and will be destroyed.After a court in the state upheld Hanser’s 2019 ruling, Kraft and nearly two dozen other defendants were cleared of misdemeanor solicitation charges. He ruled that the warrant for the installation of hidden cameras in a Jupiter, Florida massage parlor did not adequately protect the privacy rights of those who were receiving legal massages. The ruling was not challenged by the state Supreme Court.After an investigation into possible prostitution at Jupiter's massage parlor, Kraft and the other defendants were charged in February 2019. The investigation was broader and focused on whether or not Chinese women were being trafficked to Florida. The investigation ended without any convictions.Police claim they caught Kraft, a widower paying for sex at the spa on consecutive January 2019 days, including the morning of the AFC Championship Game in Kansas City. They won their sixth Super Bowl title under Kraft's 28-year ownership two weeks later. This was more than any other team in that time period.Kraft, who is 80 years old, had pleaded guilty and his lawyers led the fight for the dismissal of the evidence against him. Kraft issued a public apology in 2019 for his actions, claiming he had "hurt" and "disappointed" his family members and Patriots fans. The National Football League could still punish him. Forbes Magazine estimates Kraft's net worth to be $7 billion.The Patriots declined to comment on Friday. An email asking for comment was not returned by the NFL immediately.Kraft would likely have been sentenced to a fine, community work, and other sanctions if he was convicted.These recordings are the only evidence Kraft and the others paid for sex at Orchids of Asia Day Spa. Prosecutors were forced to drop the charges after the recordings were not allowed for trial.19 of the cases against the men were dropped. Three men were subject to a pretrial diversion program, which cost them more than $5,000. One man pleaded guilty to the charges and paid $323. One went home to Norway.Orchids of Asia was investigated as part of a larger multi-county investigation into possible sextrafficking of women who work in massage parlors. Law enforcement officials stated that they suspect several women were trafficked but none of them cooperated with the prosecutors, and no one was ever charged with trafficking.After the videos were blocked, Felony charges against Orchids of Asia management also were dropped.Hua Zhang, Jupiter Parlor's owner, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges including soliciting another person to prostitute and renting space for prostitution. She was sentenced to a year probation and $6,600 in court costs.Lei Wang, spa manager, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to one year probation. She was fined $5,000.
