Jeffrey Epstein Never Stopped Abusing Women—and His VIP Circle Helped Make It Possible¶
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Epstein photographed the Polish model when she met in 2014 with several of his VIP connections; clockwise from top: Ehud Barak at Epstein’s townhouse, Woody Allen at the townhouse; and Bill Gates at his office near Seattle.¶
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The women described similar patterns of how the sexual exploitation began: Epstein offered massages to get them relaxed and then began masturbating and pressuring them into sex acts, sometimes involving a sex toy and participation from other women he was exploiting. Some also said Epstein sexually assaulted them. Afterward, he often made jokes about their discomfort, shared tips on how they could improve their sexual prowess for next time and pressured them to bring their female friends.¶
| Lesley Groff, Epstein's executive assistant, circulated his daily schedules. Credit: MAX RAPP/PATRICK MCMULLAN/GETTY IMAGES |
Epstein was never charged with a crime for his activities after 2008. His arrest and indictment in 2019 focused on his alleged abuse and¶
exploitation of underage girls between 2002 and EFTA00144271¶
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“Without having legitimate connections to so many high-powered people, Jeffrey Epstein would not have been able to traffic most of these women after 2008,” said lawyer Brad Edwards. Along with his law-firm partner, Brittany Henderson, he represents the Polish model and more than 150 of Epstein’s accusers. “These are smart women who would not have believed him otherwise.”¶
Under federal law, sex trafficking of adults involves the use of force, fraud or coercion to compel sex acts in exchange for money or favors. The law doesn’t require movement across a border, and the coercion can be psychological. When the victims are minors, the law doesn’t require proof of fraud or coercion.¶
Edwards’s clients have sued Epstein’s estate and financial institutions that provided banking services to him. Edwards said that most of the women were sexually abused and exploited by Epstein himself, but that he also groomed some for certain of his friends. He said a total of more than 20 men have been named as participants in sexual exploitation or abuse by women who were trafficked by Epstein. He declined to name the men, citing client confidentiality.¶
Epstein often instructed women to report back their encounters with other men, Edwards said. “He would make the women describe the details of the abuse, and if they were upset, it would get¶
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She is one of dozens of women whose names appear in Epstein’s private calendars. Epstein’s executive assistant Lesley Groff circulated the daily schedules that between 2010 and 2018 listed hundreds of appointments and flights with women in their teens or 20s, sometimes referring to them in the schedules only by their first names and phone numbers. On many days, Epstein would have appointments scheduled with young women between his meetings with businesspeople, politicians and celebrities.¶
A lawyer for Groff said that part of her job, as a member of Epstein’s professional staff, was to make appointments as directed by Epstein. “At no time during Lesley’s employment with Epstein did she ever engage in any misconduct,” said the lawyer, Jonathan Whitcomb.¶
On Epstein’s daily schedules for those years, which were reviewed by the Journal, roughly one of every five meetings was with a young woman. The Journal couldn’t identify or reach all of the women listed in the documents.¶
A Year of Epstein’s Calendar¶
In 2015, Jeffrey Epstein’s schedules showed dozens of meetings and flights with young women in their late teens and 20s, often identified by their first names only. Many were on the same days as the convicted sex offender’s planned meetings with business people, celebrities and others.¶
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Epstein told some of the women he could get them into Woody Allen films or secure them a job at the United Nations. He promised others he could help them get modeling gigs at Victoria’s Secret. He told the Polish model he could help her get involved at the Gates Foundation. He conjured up many such offers for women.¶
Epstein photographed the Polish model when she met in 2014 with several of his VIP connections; clockwise from top: Ehud Barak at Epstein’s townhouse, Woody Allen at the townhouse; and Bill Gates at his office near Seattle.¶
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