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Hadley Palmer: Sex offender socialite who filmed naked minors in her mansion released early from prison

The mother-of-four was granted early release and allowed to enter a transitional supervision program on Wednesday instead of completing her sentence

GREENWICH, CONNECTICUT: Hadley Palmer was released from jail early after being sentenced last November for secretly filming naked minors in her lavish seaside mansion. The 54-year-old socialite was granted early release and allowed to enter a transitional supervision program on Wednesday, February 8, instead of completing her one-year sentence.

The special program reportedly allowed inmates with shorter sentences -- up to two years --  to serve the remainder of their time in a halfway house or with a sponsor. It's worth noting that Palmer completed only 161 days in a state penitentiary -- less than half of her full term -- before she was let out.

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Filming minors in the nude

As reported by the New York Post, the mother-of-four admitted to filming three minors who were in the nude or in their underwear without their knowledge from 2017 to 2018 for her own sexual satisfaction. One of the victims was reportedly 15 or younger. Palmer was arrested in October 2021 and originally charged with employing a minor in an obscene performance and second-degree child pornography as well as three counts of voyeurism and risk of injury to a child. In January 2022, she pleaded guilty to the latter two charges as part of a plea deal and served a 90-day term ahead of her sentencing hearing. The socialite is required to register as a sex offender for 10 years and spend 20 years on probation as part of her sentence.

The specifics of the case, including details of what Palmer exactly did with the minors, are unclear after Judge John Blawie, in Stamford, ruled that the entire file should be sealed to protect the victims' identity. He said that opening the documents with redactions could also lead to the minor victims being identified. "Between 2017 and 2018, the defendant knowingly photographed, filmed, and recorded certain individuals without their knowledge or consent, and under circumstances where those individuals were not in plain view, and had a reasonable expectation of privacy, and at least one photograph taken by the defendant depicted a person who was a minor," the judge wrote. 

Extreme privilege?

According to the Daily Mail, Hadley filed an application following her arrest in October for a special probation program known as "accelerated rehabilitation" which led to her file being sealed. The program is reportedly reserved for first-time offenders and can be used by defendants charged with Class C felonies but only with "good cause." However, many wondered whether Palmer received preferential treatment due to her extreme privilege. Many open-government groups and journalists said the move was highly unusual, arguing that the case should be opened with the personal info of the victims redacted, as is common practice. Property records state that Palmer, the daughter of hedge fund pioneer Jerrold Fine, was living in a $10 million home in Belle Haven, Connecticut, at the time of the alleged crimes in 2017 and 2018. She is currently in the process of divorcing her venture capitalist husband Bradley Palmer.