Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced financier who died in his New York City jail cell in 2019, once dismissed a 23-year-old woman as “too old” to give him a massage, according to a report on newly released grand jury documents.
The detail emerged as Florida’s Palm Beach County officials on Monday availed long-sealed grand jury records related to the 2006 probe of the sexual abuse allegations leveled against Epstein.
The report was compiled by investigators reviewing the newly released court documents that were made available to the public after long-running efforts to do so by Palm Beach County officials and Florida legislators.
The court documents say that Epstein “used children to find more victims,” with some of these children aware of the “infamous nature of such ‘notable’ people” to whom they could be exposed, according to Circuit Judge Luis Delgado’s order.
Joseph Abruzzo, clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller for Palm Beach County, announced the release of the records in a post on X, formerly Twitter, stating the intention was “to ensure transparency to the people of Palm Beach County that we serve every day, and to the international community that has closely followed the Epstein case.”
Newsweek contacted the Palm Beach County clerk’s office for further comment via email on Monday.
The road to unsealing these grand jury documents began in 2019 when The Palm Beach Post motioned to have the information released. Initially blocked by Florida Statute 905.27, Abruzzo’s office championed an amendment to the state law.
The resulting bill, HB 117, signed by Governor Ron DeSantis in February 2024, “significantly modified the definition of ‘furthering justice’ to expressly include furthering a public interest,” according to Circuit Judge Luis Delgado’s order.
The release of these documents marks a significant milestone in the ongoing investigation of Epstein and examination of the judicial system. The records, sealed for nearly two decades, offer new insights into the early stages of the investigation that eventually led to Epstein’s controversial 2008 plea deal.
The plea agreement, widely criticized as too lenient, allowed Epstein to plead guilty to state charges of procuring a person under 18 for prostitution and solicitation of prostitution.
He served just 13 months in county jail, with work release privileges, avoiding more severe federal charges. The deal, negotiated by then-U.S. Attorney Alexander Acosta, came under intense scrutiny in subsequent years.
Clerk Joseph Abruzzo announces release of Jeffrey Epstein Grand Jury records to the public “to ensure transparency to the people of Palm Beach County that we serve every day, and to the international community that has closely followed the Epstein case.” https://t.co/spckyKtUB8 pic.twitter.com/QUx0yCyQkN
— Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller (@ClerkPBC) July 1, 2024
The release of the grand jury records and subsequent report have reignited calls for a more thorough investigation into Epstein’s network of alleged enablers and co-conspirators. Despite Epstein’s death by suicide in a New York City jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges, investigations into his associates continue. Probes by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, which brought charges against Epstein in 2019, are ongoing.
Epstein’s death raised questions about jail security protocols and sparked numerous conspiracy theories. It also shifted the focus of investigations to his associates, including Ghislaine Maxwell, who was convicted in 2021 on charges related to her role in Epstein’s sex trafficking operation.
Advocates for victims rights have welcomed the release of the grand jury records, saying that it represents a step toward transparency and accountability.
Uncommon Knowledge
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