Convicted sex offender Hadley Palmer was enjoying outdoor life just days after her release from prison.
The Connecticut socialite was spotted driving to Greenwich in her silver Jeep Wrangler Sahara to shop at a local Apple Store on Tuesday, according to the exclusive photo show.
Palmer, 54, appeared to be in a festive mood as she donned a cream sweater with a red heart on the front for Valentine’s Day.
She paired the top with dark denim pants and accessorised it with a black handbag and dark sunglasses.
Socialite Hadley Palmer was seen exiting jail in her Connecticut neighborhood on Tuesday
The convicted sex offender was spotted driving to Greenwich in her silver Jeep Wrangler Sahara to go shopping at a local Apple store, exclusive photos show
Palmer appeared to be in a festive mood and wore a love hearts sweater for Valentine’s Day
The outing comes after the mother-of-four was released from jail early Wednesday after serving time secretly harboring three minors at her $10 million mansion.
Palmer was sentenced in November to a year in prison and 20 years probation after pleading guilty to three counts of voyeurism and causing harm to a minor, but has since entered a transitional surveillance program and been paroled early.
Hadley Palmer of Belle Haven was sentenced to a year in prison, 10 years on the sex offender registry and 20 years probation after pleading guilty in January 2022
Under the program, which is similar to probation, inmates serving sentences of two years or less can serve the remainder of their sentences at a transition home or with a sponsor.
As a result, Palmer has served less than half of her year-long sentence behind bars between her 90-day jail term last spring and the 71 days she served this winter.
Palmer, a mother of four, was arrested in October 2021 on charges including employing a minor in an obscene performance and second-degree child pornography.
Greenwich Police alleged in indictment documents that they unknowingly filmed three minors at their $10 million Belle Haven mansion in 2017 and 2018 for their own sexual gratification, and found that one of the victims was 15 years of age or younger .
Few details were revealed about the allegations against Palmer, as she immediately applied for what is known as “expedited rehabilitation” — a type of parole program that allows defendants charged with minor crimes to seal their files.
She paired the top with dark denim pants and accessorised it with a black handbag and dark sunglasses
Palmer was sentenced to a year in prison in November but served less than half of her sentence behind bars
It’s a program reserved for first-time offenders. It can be applied to defendants charged with Class C crimes, but only on “reasonable cause”.
Palmer was granted it and the file was therefore kept secret.
Authorities had said more serious charges were also on the table, but she struck a plea deal in January 2022 that saw her convicted only of three counts of voyeurism and one count of risking or harming a minor.
Higher charges of employing a minor in an obscene performance and possession of child pornography were dropped in the deal, in which the hedge fund manager’s daughter pleaded guilty to “knowingly photographing, filming and recording three people” in 2017 and 2018 to have without their knowledge.
As part of that plea, she agreed to serve an initial 90-day sentence at York Correctional Facility, the state’s only facility for women prisoners, before her sentencing in November.
Palmer pleaded guilty to three counts of voyeurism and causing harm to a minor
Authorities said she filmed three minors naked in the $10 million waterfront home she shared with her husband
At her sentencing hearing in November, prosecutor Paul Fereneck revealed that she taped the victims fully nude at her waterfront home and shared the footage with an unnamed third party.
Palmer was struggling with up to five years behind bars, but Stamford Superior Court Judge John Blawie, who sealed her case to protect victims, ordered she serve just a year in prison with 20 years probation.
Also, she must register as a sex offender for the next 10 years.
Palmer’s attorney Michael Meehan, who described the mother-of-four as “very caring” and “loving,” said the sentencing was fair and that she “takes responsibility for her actions.”
The Stamford Advocate later revealed that the victims in the case had asked Palmer not to serve another jail sentence.
Many details surrounding her case have been sealed, with critics calling the move unusual and outlets such as the Associated Press publicly condemning the move.
Palmer was well known in Connecticut’s upper class social circles. She is pictured with socialite Colleen deVeer and her now estranged husband Brad Palmer
She is pictured here at another fundraiser in 2016 with investment advisor Randal Sandler, his wife Liz Sandler and her estranged husband
At her sentencing hearing in November, her attorney Michael Meehan (wearing an orange tie) called the mother-of-four “very caring.” [and] loving’
The AP argued that the records may have been redacted or the children’s names changed, as is common practice in the state’s sex crimes cases, in order to make the documents available to the public.
Legal experts also told the agency at the time that immediately sealing her file was a highly unusual move, and many said she didn’t even qualify for expedited rehabilitation.
They wanted to know why she was able to hide from the public while other defendants could not, and raised questions about whether wealthy defendants were treated differently than others.
But acquaintances have told the Daily Beast that they believe there is more to the story and are glad Palmer has been released.
“I think it’s great,” commented an unknown celebrity, adding of the allegations against her: “On the surface it’s one thing and when you know someone it’s another.
“Please let them know there are a lot of people out there who believe in them and saw the story for what it was,” the unnamed source said.
Many have wondered if their venture capitalist Bradley exposed his wife’s actions to police after divorce documents revealed he tried to search their social media for evidence of an affair.
The hedge fund manager’s daughter pleaded guilty to “knowingly photographing, filming and recording three people” in 2017 and 2018 without her knowledge at the Belle Haven mansion where she lived
Ever since her marriage broke up, Palmer has moved into this half-million-dollar house in Greenwich’s Cos Cob area
The divorce papers showed that the wealthy financier had grown suspicious of Palmer.
According to a February report by The New York Times, he filed a request back in July to get her social media accounts, along with any videos or photos she may have sent to people with whom she is romantically or sexually connected was standing.
In family court cases, the Daily Beast reports, Palmer repeatedly invoked her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination in response to her husband’s request for disclosure, which contained copies of “photographs, video and audio recordings sent to or by a person You have been in a sexual or romantic relationship, whether in person or remotely only.’
She also turned down a request for “all private detective reports or other surveillance” involving her “spouse or any child of the marriage.”
In return, Palmer’s attorneys requested files on “background checks, surveillance or other services of any private investigation, police officer, or investigative service procured by or on behalf of you.”
Many have questioned whether her husband Brad Hadley secretly turned himself in to authorities when her arrest came amid contentious divorce proceedings
Palmer is shown with her daughter Katherine at an event in 2018. She has four children, including one who is a minor, with her estranged husband
Divorce proceedings are ongoing, in which both Hadley and Brad are seeking custody of the only minor of their four children.
In court filings last month, the Daily Beast reports, Palmer’s divorce attorneys revealed her early release date in a request to postpone a planned status conference so she could attend in person.
They noted that their client would be released on or before March 1st. Her maximum release date is now August 20, “provided she is not re-arrested and does not violate her terms,” said Connecticut Correctional Services press secretary Andrius Banevicius.
Under her release, Palmer must abstain from drugs and alcohol, and cannot leave Connecticut unless she receives permission to do so.