Newly released investigative files from the US Department of Justice have shed further light on the systematic abuse of underage girls by disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein. The documents, released under political pressure, detail an almost assembly-line process for procuring victims, with Epstein and his associates treating girls as commodities.
From 2002 to 2005 alone, Epstein victimised 'dozens' of underage teens, some as young as 14, by luring them into sex acts for payment under the guise of massage work. He relied on a network of employees and associates, including British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, to ensure a 'steady supply' of victims. Victims were also enlisted to recruit other girls.
One 2001 police report describes how Maxwell approached three female students on a Palm Beach college campus, claiming she needed young, unmarried women for office work. At least one student later described men calling to arrange drop-offs of girls. Maxwell reportedly asked for a list of other girls to call, saying she needed a 'large pool' as she did not know how many she would require.
FBI notes from 2019 reveal Epstein was concerned about running out of girls, with one entry stating 'running out of girls' and 'desperate time'. The notes also record Epstein asking for ID to ensure girls were under 18, and comments such as 'you know what I like', understood to mean young, petite, underage victims.
Grand jury proceedings in Maxwell's case included testimony that Maxwell once asked a victim: 'Do you know anyone who could give him a blowjob today, I don't feel like it?' and instructed that any girls brought 'have to look young at least'. Another victim said she brought girls after being told she could earn more money, and that Epstein and Maxwell asked if she could bring younger girls.
The documents also mention a list of 10 co-conspirators, including French modelling agent Jean-Luc Brunel, who was arrested in 2020 on suspicion of involvement. Maxwell is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for aiding Epstein's crimes.
