Connecticut socialite who secretly filmed minors gets out of jail early

The wealthy Connecticut socialite who was sentenced to prison last November for secretly recording nude minors in her ritzy seaside mansion has been let out of prison early.

Hadley Palmer, 54, was granted early release and entered into a transitional supervision program on Wednesday instead of completing her one-year sentence, The Daily Beast reported.

The program allows inmates with shorter sentences — two or less years — to serve some of their time in a halfway house or with a sponsor, according to the outlet.

Palmer completed just 161 days — less than half of her full sentence — in a state penitentiary, the publication tallied.

The mother of four, who comes from a wealthy family, admitted that she filmed three minors who were naked or in their underwear without their knowledge from 2017 to 2018 for her own sexual satisfaction. One of the victims was 15 or younger.

She was arrested in October 2021 and initially 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.

Palmer pleaded guilty to the latter two charges in January 2022 as part of a plea deal and served a 90-day term before her sentencing hearing.

As part of her sentence, Palmer must also register as a sex offender for 10 years and spend 20 years on probation.

Few details are known about the accusations against Palmer. Her case remains sealed by a Stamford judge who argued it was necessary to protect the victims’ identities.

However, open-government groups and journalists said the move was highly unusual. The Associated Press argued that the case should be opened with victims’ names and personal info be redacted, as is common practice.

Critics wondered if the case sealing was a product of the court system benefitting the wealthy.

Palmer is the daughter of hedge fund founder Jerrold Fine and is in the process of divorcing venture capitalist Bradley Palmer.