“American Idol” winner Laine Hardy, accused of secretly bugging an ex-girlfriend's LSU dorm room, will avoid jail time and could keep a clean record if he successfully completes an alternative program for nonviolent offenders.
Hardy, 22, has enrolled in a pretrial diversion program through the East Baton Rouge District Attorney's office and will not be formally charged if he abides by the conditions set for him, District Attorney Hillar Moore said Tuesday.
The Livingston Parish native was arrested in April 2022 after the ex-girlfriend accused him of planting an audio recording device in her room. Hardy was booked on a count of illegal wiretapping and faced between 2 and 10 years in prison if convicted, according to state law.
Moore said prosecutors from his office have been working with Hardy and his attorney for the past year while coordinating with the victim in the case to discuss different ways to resolve the case. The arrest was Hardy's first offense and the pretrial diversion program is designed for anyone accused of a non-violent crime.
“We just felt that under the circumstances, and after consultation with the victim, that this was the best alternative to a very poor decision on his part,” Moore said.
The arrest came nearly three years after the country singer won season 17 of American Idol in 2019.
According to court documents, the victim found the voice-activated audio recorder under a futon while watching a movie in her bedroom at Azalea Hall. Hardy had been using it for months to eavesdrop on her conversations, police said. He recorded conversations the woman had with her roommate at the time and even captured a talk she had with her mother about the couple’s breakup.
The victim told LSU investigators she immediately suspected Hardy because he knew details of her life she never shared with him, according to an arrest affidavit. She said when she confronted him, he admitted he left the “bug” in her room but claimed he got rid of it.
The woman gave campus police screenshots of a Snapchat conversation several weeks after their split in which Hardy again confessed to his secret recordings, the warrant indicated.
Police said they listened to recordings on the VR-500 recording device, most of which occurred in five-hour segments between Feb. 10 and Feb. 20, 2022, and included “very candid conversations” between the victim and her dorm mates.
The pretrial intervention is intended to help offenders make better decisions in the future, Moore said. Conditions, which are set on a case-by-case basis by program coordinators, often include community service and targeted behavior management courses.
“When you get into diversion, you’re diverted out of system. You’re not formally charged and if you complete all of the conditions, you will not be formally charged ever,” Moore explained.
Hardy began the diversion module early last month. He underwent a general evaluation designed to determine if he suffers from any conditions. The evaluation also sought to detect the root causes of his behavior and what treatments can help him.
It was not clear how long the program will take, but if Hardy completes all the conditions, he can petition the court to have the arrest removed from his criminal record, according to the DA.
“It just depends on how quickly the person completes all of the conditions that the counselors in diversion feel are necessary for them to do,” Moore said.
Hardy became the first Louisiana native to win the popular TV mainstay. He teamed up with the state in 2021, when Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser named Hardy a Louisiana ambassador for tourism.
The Idol alumnus appeared on a recent episode of the hit reality-show competition, walking in during contestant auditions.