How Jeffrey Epstein Allegedly Built His Sex Trafficking Ring
May 5th 2020
With plenty of help and seemingly little secrecy, well-connected financier Jeffrey Epstein allegedly recruited and sexually abused dozens of underage girls — some as young as 14. The elaborate human trafficking ring spanned his palatial mansions in Palm Beach, Florida, and Manhattan from at least 2002 and 2005.
But the 66-year-old didn’t face federal charges until this weekend, when he was arrested at a New Jersey airport and sent to a Manhattan jail on charges of sex trafficking minors and conspiracy. He pleaded not guilty to those charges Monday.
Federal prosecutors alleged in an unsealed indictment that Epstein paid the girls to show up at his estates and give him “massages,” during which he’d make them undress and touch him while he masturbated or while molested them. Sometimes, he gave the girls hundreds of dollars in extra cash to bring him more underage victims.
All of this was coordinated with the help of his associates and employees, according to court documents. In many instances, his employees scheduled “appointments” with the girls and even ensured he’d have a victim waiting for him in Palm Beach when he stepped off his private jet.
“In this way, Epstein created a vast network of underage victims for him to sexually exploit in locations including New York and Palm Beach,” according to the indictment, unsealed Monday.
The court documents don’t name any co-conspirators. But last time Epstein faced sex abuse charges (and avoided hard time in a plea deal), he also relied on his employees to maintain a steady supply of underage girls, according to prior investigative reporting from the Miami Herald.
It’s not clear how much the allegations in the Miami Herald’s investigation and Monday’s indictment overlap, although some of the allegations — including the recruitment process — mirror those made by women more than a decade ago.
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https://www.vice.com/en_in/article/bj9435/how-jeffrey-epstein-allegedly-built-his-sex-trafficking-ring