Jeffrey Epstein news: More women accuse him of underage abuse

Nine new accusers filed claims in the lawsuit against Jeffrey Epstein’s estate. One was eleven years old when the abuse happened. Another was thirteen when Epstein allegedly raped her in 1978. These new cases show how extensive Jeffrey Epstein’s sex abuse was, both bigger in years and scope than previously thought.

The sex abuse allegations we know about

Jeffrey Epstein ran an extensive sex trafficking ring that involved rich and famous men from all over the world. Among those implicated are former and current U.S. presidents, Harvard attorneys, and members of the royal family. Jeffrey Epstein started recruiting girls in the 1990s. The first known victim before this point was Maria Farmer, a recent art student grad. She was connected to Epstein by a professor. Epstein purchased her work and offered her a job as his receptionist. While working for him, Farmer recalled that Epstein groped her while she was at a residency. Jeffrey Epstein was arrested in 2007 for soliciting minors in Palm Beach, Florida. Authorities gathered ample evidence that he ran a sex trafficking pyramid scheme with underage girls. Despite the evidence, the U.S. government negotiated a lenient plea deal with Epstein, where he only served thirteen months of his sentence.

A 13-year-old from Tennessee

A Tennessee woman joined the suit, claiming Jeffrey Epstein raped her multiple times. More surprising, the abuse against this Tennessee woman began in 1978, years before Jeffrey Epstein built his empire. Epstein’s sex abuse was thought to have started in the 1990s. In the late 1970s, Jeffrey Epstein was a teacher at the prestigious Dalton School where he taught math and physics. The reasons he was dismissed were unclear. It is thought that Epstein’s lack of credentials as a college dropout was part of the reason.

The 11-year-old from Florida

The youngest victim who came forward claims Jeffrey Epstein sexually assaulted, abused, battered and digitally penetrated her on three separate occasions in 1993. She also recalled she was forced to perform oral sex on Epstein. Jeffrey Epstein bought his Palm Beach, Florida mansion in the late 1980s. It was thought that Epstein began his sex trafficking ring ten years later when his first wave of victims came forward in 2007.

Blackmail

The oldest of Jeffrey Epstein’s victims was 25 when Epstein sexually assaulted her. The victim, from New Jersey, also claims that Epstein blackmailed her into silence. Epstein threatened to ruin her career and destroy her father’s business if she told anyone. Similarly, Maria Farmer was blackmailed by Jeffrey Epstein and his girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell. Farmer claims Epstein and Maxwell had her followed and said they could ruin her if she spoke out. A woman who was writing an article in Vanity Fair experienced the same treatment for including sex abuse allegations in her article.

Extensive sex abuse

While four of the women in the lawsuit were over eighteen when they were sex trafficked, their inclusion in the case proves how extensive Jeffrey Epstein’s sex trafficking ring was. Epstein allegedly abused women from more states than Florida and New York and for a longer time than previously thought. The lawsuit also reveals that Jeffrey Epstein brought victims to South Carolina to abuse. Before, it was thought that Epstein only brought victims to his properties in New York, Florida, New Mexico, and his private island the U.S. Virgin Islands, Little St. James.

New York’s Child Victims Act

The reason these cases against Jeffrey Epstein are being heard at all is because of an extension written in the New York Victims’ Act that allows victims of sex abuse to be able to come forward after the statute of limitations expires. If a child was sexually abused in the 1970s and couldn’t come forward, they can still seek justice in civil cases. Jeffrey Epstein’s victims also argue that they should be able to sue because of the blackmail they received when they tried to come forward before. Many of them still suffer mental distress and emotional anguish due to the abuse from Epstein.

Post-2020 Estate Settlements and Compensation

Since the 2020 filings, the Epstein estate has faced additional legal actions that produced further compensation for survivors. A proposed class-action settlement reached in February 2026 calls for the estate’s executors to pay up to thirty-five million dollars for alleged facilitation of sex trafficking, pending final court approval. Earlier, the Epstein Victims’ Compensation Program distributed more than one hundred twenty-one million dollars to roughly one hundred fifty claimants before the program paused.

Little St. James Island Current Status

The private island referenced in the lawsuit has changed hands since the original filings. In 2023, Little St. James and neighboring Great St. James were sold for approximately sixty million dollars to investor Stephen Deckoff, who announced plans for luxury resort development. As of 2026, no major construction has been completed and several structures have been altered or removed.

Ongoing Legislative and Legal Reforms

New York lawmakers continue to build on the Child Victims Act framework. The proposed Trafficking Survivor Recovery and Accountability Act would impose penalties on anyone profiting from trafficking and allow punitive damages against estates of deceased abusers. Survivors testified before Albany committees in 2026 in support of expanded lookback windows and stronger accountability measures for enablers.

Maria Farmer's Continued Advocacy and Recent Claims

Maria Farmer has remained active in pressing for accountability. In 2025 she filed suit against the U.S. government, alleging that the FBI and other authorities failed to act on the reports she made in 1996. Farmer has also described ongoing threats and harassment since she first spoke publicly about her experiences.

Conclusion

The 2020 lawsuit and its successors demonstrate that Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse reached earlier and wider than previously documented, while later settlements and legislative efforts show that the legal process continues for survivors seeking redress.