Investigative documents show how millionaire Jaffrey Epstein used his powerful connections

2024-01-04 23:01:13, Kosova & Bota CNA

Investigative documents show how millionaire Jaffrey Epstein used his powerful

The release of a number of previously secret court documents related to millionaire Jeffrey Epstein, who killed himself in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges, brings back memories of how he used connections with the rich, powerful and famous to recruit his victims and cover up the crimes.

More than 40 documents released late Wednesday named celebrities and politicians who associated with or worked with Jeffrey Epstein before he was publicly accused nearly two decades ago of paying underage girls for sex.

Most of these names were familiar to anyone who has closely followed the scandal, including the trial of Ghislaine Maxwell, who was Jeffrey Epstein's girlfriend and the main recruiter of young and vulnerable girls. Maxwell, 62, was convicted of sex trafficking charges and is serving a 20-year prison sentence.

The nearly 250 documents expected to be made public starting this week mostly repeat what has long been known, the story of a man who reached elite circles until, after being arrested for sex trafficking in July 2019, he was left alone and killed himself in his prison cell. .

But the documents included some new details about a three-decade pyramid of abuse that harmed dozens of young women.

Among the famous people in millionaire Epstein's circle before the allegations were former presidents Donald Trump and Bill Clinton, singer Michael Jackson and the prestigious David Copperfield, according to the accounts of his victims and other witnesses quoted in the newly released documents. None of the names mentioned above have been charged with any wrongdoing.

There were repeats of the already familiar stories about Britain's Prince Andrew. He was sued by one of Epstein's victims, Virginia Giuffre, who said she had sexual encounters with Prince when she was 17 years old. The prince, who has denied the allegations, reached an agreement to settle the lawsuit from Virginia Giuffre in 2022.

Prince Andrew has denied allegations that he forced Ms Giuffre to have sex with him more than two decades ago at the London home of Mr Epstein's associate Ghislaine Maxwell, Mr Epstein's Manhattan home and a private island of Mr. Epstein in the United States Virgin Islands.

Among the most interesting documents published on Wednesday was the testimony of Johanna Sjoberg, who worked as a masseuse in the millionaire's home. She said she had once met singer Michael Jackson at millionaire Epstein's home in Palm Beach, Florida, but that nothing untoward happened to the late pop star.

She also said that on an April 2001 trip to New York, Prince Andrew touched her breast while they posed for a photo.

Mr. Clinton has previously stated through a spokesman that although he had traveled several times on the millionaire Epstein's plane, he had never visited his homes and was not aware of the crimes. Mr Trump has said he once thought billionaire Epstein was a "wonderful guy", but they later had a falling out.

Johanna Sjoberg also testified that on one occasion she went to a dinner at one of Epstein's houses, where magician David Copperfield was also present.

She said Copperfield performed magic tricks before asking her if she was aware "that girls were paid to find other girls". One of the allegations against millionaire Epstein and his ex-girlfriend Maxwell was that some girls he paid for sex later recruited other victims. A publicist for Mr. Copperfield did not respond to an email from The Associated Press for comment./ VOA