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Long before the global scandal, Jeffrey Epstein was already in the investigators’ sights. In documents that have now been published, a then 14-year-old girl tells of the abuse system.
Palm Beach – In the Jeffrey Epstein abuse scandal, newly released court documents contain detailed statements about the actions of the notorious US sex offender and ex-multimillionaire. The papers come from interviews in Florida in 2006, where the now dead Epstein was due to be tried many years before the global scandal of 2019.
The documents contain the statements of several teenagers who recount how they first received massages from Epstein for several hundred dollars in his property and were then sexually abused and raped. The businessman and confidant of numerous influential celebrities made a deal with the Florida prosecutor’s office in 2008 and pleaded guilty to several crimes. As a result, there was never a federal trial on the abuse allegations.
Epstein only served a prison sentence of 13 months. This agreement was considered scandalous, especially after his re-arrest and New York indictment in 2019. The deal made Epstein a symbol of a social elite that gets away with crimes. The case shocked the USA.
Hundreds of dollars for sex acts – and new girls
In the indictment about five years ago, the New York prosecutor accused Epstein of abusing dozens of underage girls. The businessman set up an illegal sex trafficking ring in New York and Florida between 2002 and 2005, the indictment said. He is said to have also supplied minors to other men.
These allegations are also supported by the documents that have now been published. In them, a 14-year-old from Florida, who was 14 at the time of the crime, tells how an acquaintance hired her for Epstein and promised her that she would get $200 for a massage. In his residence, she was then asked to strip down to her underwear.
During the massage, Epstein promised the girl an additional $100 for sexual acts, according to her interview. Epstein also paid money to those who could bring him new girls.
Rumors and conspiracy theories about celebrities
About a month after his arrest in 2019, Epstein was found dead in his cell at the age of 66. According to official information, he took his own life. The case also caused a stir worldwide because the businessman was well connected to the highest circles. His relationships with celebrities and his death led to numerous rumors and conspiracy theories.
Epstein liked to appear in public with stars and had – at least temporarily – contacts with former US presidents Donald Trump and Bill Clinton as well as Britain’s Prince Andrew. The latter had to largely withdraw from the public eye due to his involvement in the abuse scandal.
The documents now published were the subject of a years-long legal dispute and were only allowed to be released after a decision by Governor Ron DeSantis in the spring. dpa
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