Fund manager Jeffrey Epstein used his wealth and power to sexually abuse dozens of young girls for years at one of the biggest mansions in Manhattan, paying them hundreds of dollars in cash for each encounter and hundreds more if they brought in more victims, U.S. prosecutors said.
Now, federal prosecutors are charging him with sex trafficking and conspiracy and seeking to send him to prison and to seize that Manhattan home.
The indictment unsealed on Monday against the well-connected financier came days after his arrest upon returning from overseas and just hours after federal agents used a crowbar to enter the townhouse. The charges, which include sex acts with girls as young as 14, carry a minimum of 10 years in prison if he’s convicted. He is expected to make an appearance later on Monday and seek to be released on bail.
Epstein was taken into custody Saturday after years of accusations of child molestation and a previous conviction that yielded a minimal sentence that has drawn recent scrutiny.
Prosecutors said the sex acts occurred in Epstein’s homes in Palm Beach, Florida, and Manhattan. Epstein asked at least two girls what their ages were, and both replied truthfully that they were underage, according to the indictment.
The Justice Department is attempting to seize Epstein’s Manhattan residence through forfeiture proceedings, on the grounds that his spacious townhouse at 9 East 71st Street was used for the sex trafficking.
Epstein’s lawyers, Martin Weinberg and Reid Weingarten, declined to comment on the charges.
Epstein was arrested at Teterboro Airport in New Jersey after he returned from France, according to a person familiar with the matter. In court, prosecutors may emphasize his access to a private plane and a home overseas, along with his wealth and the steep penalty for sex trafficking, as part of an argument to deny him bail.
The case against Epstein indicates that at least three employees of his were involved in recruiting and scheduling minors for sexual encounters with him, as well as other unspecified “associates.” One of them was based in New York, while two other assistants based at his mansion in Palm Beach were responsible for scheduling the encounters there and escorting victims to a room in the house, according to the indictment.
“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.