A 15-year-old sufferer of Jeffrey Epstein was summoned at some point to his Palm Beach mansion, she mentioned, launched to one in all his “special” associates and instructed to get bare and provides the mysterious bald man a therapeutic massage.
“Make sure our friend has a really good time,” Epstein’s legal confederate Ghislaine Maxwell allegedly instructed her.
The man then raped her, mentioned the sufferer, who by no means discovered his identify. Afterward, she acquired about $1,000 in money and Maxwell prompt she’d be launched to different Epstein associates sooner or later.
Her disturbing account is one in all greater than a dozen doubtlessly credible FBI interviews NCS reviewed within the Department of Justice’s Epstein information launch wherein victims instructed authorities the financier or Maxwell facilitated sexual encounters along with his wealthy and highly effective associates. They named greater than a half dozen different males, together with Wall Street executives, a former senator, a rich psychiatrist and a movie producer.
To date, solely Epstein and Maxwell have been charged within the US with intercourse trafficking in his case, and FBI Director Kash Patel has said there’s “no credible information” that Epstein trafficked his victims to others.
But NCS discovered that the victims’ allegations are additionally echoed within the information by witnesses who described seeing males at Epstein’s properties with minors. One former staffer said he noticed an unnamed man on Epstein’s Caribbean island with bare women who seemed underneath 18, whereas a girl who had traveled with Epstein described how his affiliate Jean Luc Brunel – a French modeling agent later arrested on intercourse crime prices – introduced a “really young girl” to the island.
Despite these vivid accounts of abuse by different males, the voluminous Epstein information lack readability on how investigators pursued these leads. FBI interview memos redact victims’ names and don’t embody corroborating info or any particulars of how federal brokers followed up – making it tough to evaluate the veracity of the claims.
To some consultants, the dearth of investigative reviews within the information raises doubts in regards to the steps legislation enforcement took to look into them.
“I don’t see that that led to writing search warrant affidavits to obtain somebody’s computer, somebody’s personnel file, going to different places to get flight records, hotel records,” mentioned Moses Castillo, a former detective with the Los Angeles Police Department, who listed the investigative efforts he would count on to see documented within the information. “I don’t see that any of that was done.”
Epstein victims say they had been trafficked to different males, elevating doubts about investigations
A DOJ spokesperson declined to element the efforts taken to research the allegations past a broad assertion that each tip was correctly seemed into.
“The allegations contained in them were thoroughly investigated,” the spokesperson mentioned. “Prosecutors at the time did not feel that the evidence was sufficient to prosecute.”
The DOJ additionally confronted accusations of masking up some instances by initially failing to launch one sufferer’s claims that President Donald Trump abused her, allegations the White House calls baseless and which the DOJ says weren’t deliberately withheld. An FBI e-mail final 12 months acknowledged a sufferer who claimed abuse by Trump “ultimately refused to cooperate.”
Critics say the Epstein information present how Republican and Democratic administrations alike fumbled the Epstein investigation over twenty years, leaving potential coconspirators uncharged.
“The fact that there were all these powerful men, many billionaires, some from other parts of the world, that were involved in the rape and abuse of children and women, and that there has been little to no accountability, especially in our country — every single American should be outraged by that,” mentioned Rep. Robert Garcia, the rating Democrat on the House Oversight Committee.
Epstein’s intercourse trafficking has been effectively documented. After a number of underage women accused him of paying them for intercourse acts within the mid-2000s, he struck a controversial deal to serve a couple of 12 months in jail and keep away from federal prices.
In 2018, extra victims accused him of abuse, which led to a brand new indictment on prices of intercourse trafficking dozens of underage women; Epstein died in jail earlier than he might go to trial. A jury later found Maxwell responsible of intercourse trafficking and different prices.
Neither legal case resolved a lingering thriller: whether or not anybody else in Epstein’s huge community of rich associates abused the victims.
Former Attorney General Pam Bondi fanned the flames final 12 months throughout an interview with Fox News wherein she mentioned she had an inventory of Epstein’s purchasers sitting on her desk to evaluate. The DOJ later walked that again and stated in a memo {that a} “review revealed no incriminating ‘client list’” and “did not uncover evidence that could predicate an investigation” of others.
The lack of awareness drove Congress final 12 months to pass the invoice forcing the DOJ to launch the Epstein information.
The trove of launched pages hasn’t modified the Trump administration’s stance that no different Epstein-related prices are anticipated. But the paperwork do embody quite a few sufferer statements that time at different males in Epstein’s orbit.
One is Henry Jarecki, a famend psychiatrist. He was in his late 70s when a girl mentioned she started visiting him weekly at Epstein’s encouragement. In an interview with the FBI, she mentioned she was about to start school in 2010 and “became dependent” on Epstein.
Epstein instructed her Jarecki might assist her with school. Instead, she mentioned Jarecki “trafficked” her. She instructed authorities she supplied Jarecki with oral intercourse.
In a lawsuit filed in 2024, an nameless girl who recognized herself as one in all Epstein’s victims alleged she was raped by Jarecki, who denied any wrongdoing and referred to as her allegations “ludicrous.” The plaintiff voluntarily dismissed the case final 12 months and instructed Fox News she had concluded Jarecki didn’t imply her hurt and that Epstein had not referred her to him. It’s not clear if this is identical girl who spoke to the FBI.
A spokesperson for Jarecki, who has not been charged with any crime, mentioned he can’t remark as a result of he “has advanced dementia and is non-communicative,” including, “That silence should not be construed as tacit approval.” The spokesperson famous that Jarecki has beforehand acknowledged he has by no means abused anybody.
Another girl in 2020 recognized a photograph of movie producer Harvey Weinstein as a person “balding” with “black hair” who was “older and chunky” who had sexually abused her as she massaged him at one in all Epstein’s properties when she was about 15 years outdated, based on one other FBI doc.
A spokesperson for Weinstein mentioned he “unequivocally denies the allegation described and has no recollection of any such interaction,” noting that the claims are uncorroborated.
A jury convicted Weinstein final 12 months of a cost in his intercourse crimes retrial. Weinstein instructed The Hollywood Reporter he was not associates with Epstein although he “maybe ran into him once or twice.”
Another girl mentioned Epstein despatched her to remain at a Los Angeles resort with former Sen. George Mitchell, and that she “complied” when Mitchell requested for intercourse. After the journey, she mentioned, Epstein instructed her she had accomplished effectively and referred to as Mitchell a very good buddy. She mentioned Epstein’s assistant despatched her to Washington, DC, on one other event the place she once more had intercourse with Mitchell. She mentioned she angered Epstein when she abruptly left the resort however didn’t go to the police on the time as a result of she “was scared.”
Documents unsealed in 2019 contained allegations from one other Epstein sufferer, Virginia Giuffre, who mentioned Maxwell instructed her to have intercourse with Mitchell. He denied the declare on the time and mentioned he had “never met, spoken with or had any contact” together with her.
“At no time did Senator Mitchell observe, suspect, or have any knowledge of Epstein engaging in illegal or inappropriate conduct with minors,” a spokesperson for Mitchell mentioned, including that the previous senator regrets his affiliation with Epstein and “condemns, without reservation, the horrific harm Epstein inflicted on so many women.”
Another girl instructed the FBI that Epstein directed her to therapeutic massage Jes Staley, a banker and former government with Barclays and JPMorgan, who she mentioned then sexually abused her inside Epstein’s New York residence someday between 2011 and 2012. Staley “forcefully put her hands on his crotch area. This ended in rough sex,” the report describing her interview states. She mentioned she instructed Staley she “did not want this.”
An nameless sufferer additionally alleged in a lawsuit that one in all Epstein’s associates assaulted her. In a courtroom submitting, JPMorgan stated the person described by the sufferer was Staley, who subsequently denied the accusation.
Last 12 months, Staley said he didn’t find out about Epstein’s involvement with underaged women however mentioned in courtroom he had consensual intercourse with one in all Epstein’s assistants. His legal professional referred to as an allegation that he had aided Epstein “baseless.”
The girl who spoke to the FBI about Staley additionally alleged she’d been abused by Leon Black, a billionaire and former CEO of Apollo Global Management. She mentioned Black began “becoming sexual” throughout a therapeutic massage Epstein had directed her to offer earlier than she ran out of the room.
Separately, a girl instructed the FBI in 2020 that Black raped her about six years earlier. She didn’t say Epstein launched her to Black however mentioned going with Black to Epstein’s residence in Florida, the place she mentioned she was instructed to have intercourse with Epstein.
Black has been accused of rape in three lawsuits. A state choose dismissed one go well with and the plaintiff in one other agreed to drop her go well with. Black has denied allegations in one other, which stays pending, although the legislation agency representing the plaintiff withdrew from the case.
An legal professional for Black mentioned in a press release, “Mr. Black has never abused, assaulted, or raped any girl or woman and the idea of doing so is repulsive and reprehensible to him. Such allegations against him are completely false.” Black has additionally said that “with the benefit of hindsight” he regretted having “any involvement” with Epstein.
Victims in a number of FBI interviews additionally described Epstein trafficking them to males whose names they didn’t know.
The girl who mentioned Jarecki abused her additionally instructed the FBI she had massaged about six totally different males at Epstein’s townhouse. The memo summarizing her interview doesn’t identify these males, however notes she mentioned Epstein supplied “sexual instructions” on “how to treat his friends.”
Another sufferer instructed authorities Epstein launched her to a person named Bruce, whose final identify she didn’t recall, although she remembered he had a New York condo stuffed with Mickey Mouse paraphernalia. The sufferer mentioned Epstein instructed her to satisfy his buddy for dinner. But “Bruce wanted to do something else,” based on a memo describing her interview. The memo doesn’t state whether or not any sexual exercise occurred however does observe that Epstein instructed her to be a “good little girl.”
The sufferer who mentioned an unnamed bald man raped her at Epstein’s residence in Florida when she was about 15 years outdated instructed authorities that Maxwell referred to as the person a “very important client and friend.” She mentioned a couple of month or two later, Maxwell directed her to therapeutic massage one other unnamed man, although she mentioned Maxwell instructed her “not to mention her age” and to “leave your underwear on.” The sufferer mentioned she was “confused because she normally gave the massages naked and there was normally a sexual encounter with them.”
Other victims described cases wherein Epstein apparently sought to introduce them to males. A girl who instructed the FBI Epstein had abused her as an underage teenager famous that he as soon as referred to as her as a result of “he had a friend that he wanted her to meet,” although she mentioned she declined. Another girl who mentioned Epstein paid her for sexual massages when she was in her 20s instructed authorities that he prompt “more than once” that she “see some of his acquaintances.”
Some of essentially the most overt allegations that Epstein’s intercourse trafficking prolonged past him and Maxwell got here from Giuffre, who said in courtroom filings and a posthumously revealed memoir that Epstein compelled her to have intercourse with a number of others.
“In my years with them, they lent me out to scores of wealthy, powerful people. I was habitually used and humiliated – and in some instances, choked, beaten, and bloodied,” Giuffre wrote in her ebook revealed in October. She additionally instructed the FBI Epstein organized her sexual encounters with individuals she referred to as “clients” when she was underneath 18, together with an unnamed tutorial she described as “an older American male with a white beard and glasses.”
The prosecution memo launched by the DOJ exhibits authorities had some issues about Giuffre’s reliability. In a piece wherein the sufferer’s identify is redacted however particulars match these publicly shared by Giuffre, the memo states her description of somebody’s conduct had been “internally inconsistent” and notes she had admitted to burning handwritten notes about her expertise with Epstein and misrepresenting the period of time she spent with him.
Still, the DOJ information have renewed scrutiny on males she has accused of rape, reminiscent of former Prince Andrew, who paid her a settlement in 2022. An email seems to substantiate the authenticity of a photograph exhibiting Andrew’s arm round her waist, and Steve Scully, who labored for Epstein within the early 2000s, individually instructed investigators he noticed Andrew on Epstein’s island and “recalled him grinding against some young girl in the pool,” based on an FBI report.
The former prince has lengthy denied allegations he sexually assaulted Giuffre. UK authorities arrested Andrew in February on suspicion of misconduct in public workplace and mentioned they had been reviewing claims he shared delicate info with Epstein. He has not been charged with any crime associated to Giuffre.
Publicly launched paperwork paint an inconsistent image of how completely authorities sought to research allegations involving different males.
An FBI agent wrote in a 2020 e-mail that Prince Andrew was “not a big part of our investigation.” The agent referenced a US prosecutor publicly saying authorities needed to speak to Andrew and wrote, “The media was all over that statement making it seem we are investigating Prince Andrew more seriously than we actually are.”
However, former Attorney General Bill Barr, who presided over the DOJ when Epstein was indicted in 2019, mentioned in a deposition final 12 months he believed a dispute arose between US authorities and Andrew as they sought to query him throughout an investigation into Epstein associates.
“They wanted to talk to him, and he wouldn’t really submit to an interview,” Barr mentioned.
A 2019 prosecution memo, which was written months after Epstein’s dying and analyzed whether or not a few of his associates and workers could have legal legal responsibility, contains allegations in opposition to Epstein associates like Black and Staley, noting a girl mentioned they “engaged in sexual contact with her against her will during the massages.”
Large parts of that memo are redacted, however one part describes how investigators interviewed dozens of victims and witnesses, executed search warrants, reviewed monetary data and met with attorneys for quite a few individuals as they examined potential prices in opposition to others.
Neither Black nor Staley have been charged with crimes.
It’s usually unclear how authorities followed up on witnesses who described potential crimes tied to Epstein. In the FBI memo in regards to the sufferer who mentioned an unnamed bald man raped her at Epstein’s Florida residence, for instance, an agent famous that she mentioned she noticed different individuals in Epstein’s home earlier than the incident, together with a chef and a maid. The memo doesn’t say whether or not the sufferer supplied different details about these people. It’s additionally unclear whether or not investigators questioned them about her allegation.
The federal brokers handed at the very least some suggestions from sufferer interviews to native police. A federal legislation enforcement e-mail from July acknowledged 4 to 5 Epstein victims alleged different males abused them however there was “not enough evidence to federally charge these individuals, so the cases were referred to local law enforcement.” It’s largely unclear, although, which native companies had been contacted or what they did with the data.
Sex crime instances current distinctive challenges and should clear a number of obstacles to maneuver ahead, together with statute of limitation constraints and necessities that victims describe what occurred to them with nice specifity, mentioned Deborah Tuerkheimer, a former New York prosecutor and present legislation professor at Northwestern.
Tuerkheimer mentioned she believes prosecutors too continuously drop such instances regardless that they’ve discretion to pursue them based mostly on sufferer accounts. She questioned whether or not that occurred with numerous allegations that emerged within the Epstein case.
“I’m left thinking about how much this very exceptional case tracks very familiar patterns,” Tuerkheimer mentioned. “This sort of short-circuiting of an investigation is not at all unusual.”
Outside of the DOJ, there are nonetheless ongoing efforts to be taught extra about whether or not others abused Epstein’s victims. The House Oversight Committee plans to carry hearings that includes testimony from victims and witnesses.
First woman Melania Trump has additionally referred to as for extra consideration on survivors’ tales. In a press release wherein she condemned what she referred to as lies linking her to Epstein, she mentioned Epstein victims ought to have the chance to testify underneath oath in public hearings. “Now is the time for Congress to act. Epstein was not alone,” the primary woman mentioned.
Attorney Spencer Kuvin, who has represented quite a few Epstein victims together with one he mentioned Epstein “loaned out” to a company government in Palm Beach, mentioned the US authorities has repeatedly fallen quick within the Epstein case courting again to the administration of President George W. Bush, when Epstein struck a non-prosecution deal.
“Subsequent administrations looked at it and said, ‘You know what? The girls got paid, settlements happened, let a sleeping dog lie,’” Kuvin mentioned. “They just kind of looked the other way.”
EDITOR’S NOTE: Anyone affected by sexual violence can attain out to the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to on-line.rainn.org to obtain assist through confidential on-line chat.