Prince Andrew and Jeffrey Epstein.Photo: Ian Forsyth/Getty Images; Neil Rasmus/Patrick McMullan
Here’s what to know about the Epstein case.
He Was Convicted for Soliciting a Minor for Prostitution
In 2008, Epstein — who counted himself as a one-time friend to dozens of high-profile celebrities, moguls and public officials, including presidents Bill Clinton andDonald Trumpin his pre-White House days — pleaded guilty in Florida state court to soliciting a person under 18 for prostitution. PEOPLE confirmed he was sentenced to 13 months in jail, although he served much of the time in work release at his office in Palm Beach. He was required to register as a sex offender.
New Charges Accused Epstein of Trafficking Girls as Young as 14
On July 6, Epstein was arrested at a New Jersey airport and charged in a new federal indictment thatalleged he had “sexually exploited and abused dozens of minor girls at his homes.”The incidents occurred in several locations, including Manhattan and Palm Beach. The indictment alleged Epstein paid some victims to recruit additional victims.
The indictment charged Epstein with one count of sex trafficking of minors and one count of conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking of minors. He faced a maximum 45-year prison sentence if convicted. According to court records filed in Manhattan Federal Court, some of the alleged victims were as young as 14 at the time of the alleged abuse.
Jeffrey Epstein.Uncredited/AP/Shutterstock
Epstein pleaded not guilty to all charges but was denied bail following a search of his property that revealed he had a fake passport and stacks of cash hidden in his safe. U.S. District Judge Richard Berman ordered him to remain behind bars as a flight risk pending a trial date.
Jeffrey Epstein.Rick Friedman/Getty Images
Guards Found Epstein Unconscious in His Cell as He Awaited Trial
The incident occurred two weeks after Epstein had been discovered injured in his cell,lying in a fetal positionwith marks on his neck.
Jail Staffers Have Been Accused of Failed Oversight
Two staff members assigned to guard Epstein at the federal jail, Tova Noel and Michael Thomas, subsequentlywere detainedand charged with falsifying records about their activities when they were meant to check on him every 30 minutes, according to an indictment, reportsThe New York Times.
The criminal charge alleged the two men were napping and looking online at items for sale rather than conducting their required rounds during the time that Epstein hung himself between 10:30 p.m. and 6:30 a.m., when security cameras showed that no one entered the wing where Epstein was alone in his cell.
Queen Elizabeth‘s son recalled meeting Epstein in 1991, through the financier’s then-girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell.
“It would be, to some extent, a stretch to say that as it were we were close friends,” Andrew said in the sit-down BBC Newsnight interview. “I mean, we were friends because of other people,” he said, although he acknowledged staying overnight in Epstein’s residences.
“I have no recollection of ever meeting this lady, none whatsoever,” the Duke of York, 59, said aboutGiuffre’s allegations. “It just never happened.”
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The allegation also invoked a connection to Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s Palm Beach residence and members-only club, as Giuffre, a former towel girl at the property, claimed Epstein used his girlfriend at the time to recruit her into sexual slavery while she worked there, according toPolitico.
In a 2002 interview withNew Yorkmagazine, Trump said: “I’ve known Jeff for 15 years. Terrific guy. He’s a lot of fun to be with. It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side. No doubt about it – Jeffrey enjoys his social life.”
In theswift falloutfrom Andrew’s interview, heannounced Nov. 20 that he was “stepping away” from public dutiesfor the “foreseeable future.”
source: people.com
