Who was Jeffrey Epstein? Meet the man behind these horrific crimes

Jeffery Epstein, 66, was a notorious hedge fund manager and convicted & registered sex offender with a history of child sex trafficking. According to government reports, many of his victims were young girls. The youngest victims were reportedly twelve-year-old girls, who were allegedly sexually & psychologically abused & humiliated in depraved acts, reportedly coordinated with his former girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell.

In 2019, Jeffrey Epstein, who was reportedly connected to the rich & powerful, including Prince Andrew, Bill Clinton, Bill Gates, and Donald Trump, made headlines when he was federally charged for sex trafficking. Shortly after Epstein’s arrest and denial of bail, he was found dead in his jail cell in what has officially been ruled a suicide. 

There’s a lot to unpack, so we’ll break down who Jeffrey Epstein was, what he did, and what happens next.

The accusations

Epstein was an investment banker with a net worth of $577 million who pleaded not guilty to federal charges of sex trafficking and conspiracy to commit sex trafficking. In Epstein’s 2019 federal indictment, three unnamed victims were included as victims. However, in his prior Florida conviction, which is currently under federal investigation for its lenient plea bargain, forty underage girls were listed as victims in the indictment.

Following the 2019 charge, Epstein’s $77 million mansion was raided by authorities, and hundreds of labeled and sexually explicit photos of underage girls were uncovered. According to Alex Rossmiller, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, authorities identified a massage table and room within Epstein’s mansion that matched the description provided by victims in court.

Luring underage girls 

According to court documents, young girls were allegedly recruited & lured to Epstein’s properties with false promises of modeling opportunities.

Victims alleged they were forced to strip to their underwear and massage Epstein at his numerous properties. After which, they would be abused, raped, and also trafficked to other influential figures. 

According to one of Epstein’s accusers, Jennifer Araoz, she was solicited by an older woman in front of her high school when she was a fourteen-year-old child on welfare. She alleged that the massages eventually escalated, and she was raped by Epstein when she was fifteen years old. 

According to prosecutors, the girls were allegedly paid for each visit, and certain victims were paid a finder fee to recruit additional victims. Also, Epstein allegedly recruited young girls from Brazil and other South American countries, and modeling agencies supplied some. 

Jean-Luc Brunel, a French model agent who reportedly provided underage girls to Epstein, was arrested & charged by French prosecutors. According to a 2020 federal indictment, Maxwell was a co-conspirator who aided Epstein in luring, recruiting, and abusing underage girls for exploitation. 

Network of the rich & powerful

Epstein’s social network is infamous for high-profile figures, including politicians, royals, and billionaires. Former President Bill Clinton is reported to have taken four trips on Epstein’s planes and is reportedly pictured to be receiving a massage with one of Epstein’s alleged victims. 

Another Former President, Donald Trump, is reportedly connected with Epstein, and in a 2002 New York Magazine interview, Trump described his relationship with Epstein and his supposed taste in women. According to The New York Times, Microsoft founder Bill Gates is also pictured with Epstein and is reported to have met with him on numerous occasions. 

The network also allegedly included British Royal Prince Andrew, who is mentioned in court documents to have been in Epstein’s mansion and was accused of sexual assault by Virginia Giuffre, one of Epstein’s alleged victims. Epstein was also connected to billionaire and CEO of Victoria’s Secret, Leslie Wexner, who stepped down as CEO in 2020.

Using blackmail

Reports from alleged victims claimed Esptein’s sex trafficking ring used psychological blackmail to coerce the women into compliance and to intimidate them from cooperating with law officials. According to an amended complaint filed by alleged victim Priscilla Doe, Epstein kept damaging files on victims and threatened them with his power & influence.

What’s Next? 

Following Epstein’s supposed suicide, all charges against him were dismissed by a federal judge. Prosecutors filed a motion to dismiss all charges, citing Epstein’s death. Prosecutors indicated that they would continue investigation into the count for conspiracy to commit sexual trafficking. 

Additionally, Epstein’s victims moved forward with civil cases against his estate, and his estate opened a victims fund to compensate his sex trafficking victims. 

In 2020, Ghislaine Maxwell was arrested for charges in connection to Epstein’s sex trafficking operation. She was denied bail and is currently being held in a Brooklyn federal detention facility where she is awaiting trial. We still have to wait and see the outcome of this case.