Flashback………………..
Women speak out for the first time to detail alleged molestation at the hands of billionaire Jeffrey Epstein
Dec. 2, 2018, 11:46 AM
'Billionaire Jeffrey Epstein's alleged victims are telling their stories for the first time.
On Wednesday, the Miami Herald published a lengthy report into the case of Epstein, who took a plea deal in 2008 after local and federal investigators uncovered evidence that he likely molested dozens of underage girls.
While Epstein could have faced up to life in prison, prosecutors lowered the sentence in exchange for him providing unspecified information to federal investigators. He ended up serving just 13 months in the private wing of the county jail.
Many of the details of the case have largely been kept out of the public eye thanks to the plea deal, but the new report is shedding light on the case involving the billionaire, who had connections to President Donald Trump, former President Bill Clinton, and Britain's Prince Andrew.
'He ruined my life'
At the time of Epstein's sentencing, federal investigators identified 36 victims, according to the Herald.
But the deal brought their investigation to a close. Once Epstein's case made papers, more women came out, and the Herald says they have now identified 80 victims.
The paper located 60 of those victims, and eight of them agreed to be interviewed, either on or off the record. Four were willing to speak about their experience on video.
"I don't think anyone has been told the truth about what Jeffrey Epstein did," one of the alleged victims, Michelle Licata, 30, said. "He ruined my life and a lot of girls' lives. People need to know what he did and why he wasn't prosecuted so it never happens again."
Investigators who worked on the case told the paper that the dozens of women they spoke to all told similar stories of their encounters with Epstein.
Many said other victims been recruited them, at places like the mall. They were then offered $200 to $300 to give a man a massage. Investigators told the Herald that Epstein pushed the girls to go as far sexually as he could.
Epstein didn't respond to the Herald's requests for comment.
—Miami Herald (@MiamiHerald) November 28, 2018
The girls he allegedly abused were largely from troubled backgrounds, either in the foster care system, from broken families, or below the poverty line.
https://www.insider.com/jeffrey-epstein-victims-speak-2018-11