Documents published Epstein promised girls 200 dollars for a massage

dpa

2.7.2024 - 07:10

New documents have been released in connection with allegations of abuse against Jeffrey Epstein.
New documents have been released in connection with allegations of abuse against Jeffrey Epstein.
Archive image: dpa

Long before the global scandal broke, Jeffrey Epstein was already in the sights of investigators. In documents that have now been published, a 14-year-old girl, among others, talks about the abuse system.

DPA

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  • In the US state of Florida, interviews from 2006 have been published in which alleged victims talk about their relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.
  • He is said to have promised a 14-year-old girl 200 dollars for a massage in her underwear and 100 dollars for sexual acts.
  • Several teenagers have stated that they were sexually abused. The minors are also said to have been introduced to other men.

In the abuse scandal surrounding Jeffrey Epstein, newly released court documents contain detailed statements about sex crimes committed by the notorious US sex offender and ex-multimillionaire. The documents originate from interviews in Florida in 2006, where the now-dead Epstein was to be tried many years before the global scandal broke in 2019.

The documents contain the statements of several teenagers who tell how they first massaged Epstein for several hundred dollars at his estate and were then sexually abused and raped. However, the businessman and confidant of numerous influential celebrities entered into a deal with the Florida state prosecutor's office in 2008 and pleaded guilty to several crimes.

As a result, there was never a federal trial for the abuse allegations. Epstein only served a prison sentence of 13 months. This agreement was considered scandalous, especially after his re-arrest and the New York indictment in 2019. The deal made Epstein a symbol of a social elite that gets away with crimes. The alleged crimes shook the USA.

Hundreds of dollars for sexual acts

The public prosecutor's office in New York accused Epstein of abusing dozens of underage girls for around five years. According to the indictment, the businessman set up an illegal sex trafficking ring in New York and Florida between 2002 and 2005. He is also alleged to have supplied minors to other men.

Epstein wanted poster of the FBI.
Epstein wanted poster of the FBI.
KEYSTONE

These allegations are also supported by the documents that have now been published. In them, a 14-year-old from Florida at the time of the crime recounts how an acquaintance hired her for Epstein and promised that she would receive 200 dollars for a massage. At his property, she was then asked to strip down to her underwear.

During the massage, Epstein then promised the girl an additional 100 dollars for sexual acts, according to her interrogation. Epstein also paid money for those who could bring him new girls.

Rumors and conspiracy theories about celebrities

Around a month after his arrest in 2019, Epstein was found dead in his cell at the age of 66. According to official reports, he took his own life. The case also caused a worldwide stir because the businessman was connected in the highest circles.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis shows the signed law allowing the release of the Epstein documents.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis shows the signed law allowing the release of the Epstein documents.
KEYSTONE

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 current President Donald Trump, former President Bill Clinton and Prince Andrew of Great Britain, among others.

The latter had to largely withdraw from the public eye due to his involvement in the abuse scandal. The documents that have now been published were the subject of a years-long legal dispute and were only allowed to be released following a decision by Governor Ron DeSantis in the spring.