EFTA00188442 Billionaire heads to jail on teen prostitution charges -- South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com Page 1 of 2 sun-sentinel.com/news/local/palmbeach/sfl-flpepstein0701sbjul01,0,1047755.story # South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com Billionaire heads to jail on teen prostitution charges By Missy Diaz South Florida Sun-Sentinel 11:28 PM EDT, June 30, 2008 WEST PALM BEACH Billionaire Palm Beach- New York-Virgin Islands money manager Jeffrey Epstein traded his navy sport coat for a jail uniform Monday after pleading guilty to hiring underage Palm Beach County girls for erotic massages and sex. The 55-year-old will be designated a sex offender, requiring him to register annually with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Epstein, who lives in a 13,000-square-foot mansion on El Brillo Way in Palm Beach, will spend 18 months in the Palm Beach County Jail followed by a year of house arrest. Judge Deborah Pucillo, who grilled Epstein and his attorneys throughout the hearing, read off a litany of other conditions of Epstein's house arrest, including a 10 p.m.-to-6 a.m. curfew, an hourly daily activity log and a stern warning that he not possess, watch or view any "obscene, pornographic or sexually stimulating material relative to your deviant behavior." The judge admonished Epstein not to have any contact — direct or indirect — with his victims, something Pucillo clarified explicitly, saying it includes things like Facebook, MySpace, e-mail and text messages. "That means no messages through carrier pigeons, no messages through third parties. ... Is that clear?" she asked. Epstein told the judge he's an investment banker. He manages money for the very rich and counts among his friends former President Bill Clinton. His real estate holdings include a private island in the U.S. Virgin Islands and a 50,000-square-foot townhouse on Manhattan's tony Upper East Side. According to police reports, in 2004 and 2005 Epstein paid , then 20, to find girls — "the younger the better"— to "work" for him. Epstein rejected a 23-year-old who brought to Epstein's home. once referred to herself as Heidi Fleiss, the Hollywood madam whose client list included celebrities. "The more you do, the more you get paid," reportedly told the girls. The going rate was $200 to $300 per massage. All of the girls knew what to expect, according to : "provide a massage, possibly naked, and allow some touching." Following lengthy negotiations dating to Epstein's July 2006 arrest, he pleaded guilty Monday to two counts: procuring a person under 18 for prostitution and felony offer to commit prostitution. The
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/palmbeach/sfl-flpepstein0701sbjul01,0,697175,pri...7/1/2008
EFTA00188443 Billionaire heads to jail on teen prostitution charges -- South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com Page 2 of 2 Epstein still faces civil lawsuits in federal court filed by four girls seeking in excess of $50 million each. "We think the guilty plea today is a very positive development for the civil cases and validates the claims the girls were making," said Jeffrey Herman, the Miami attorney representing the girls. Missy Diaz can be reached at mdiaz@sun-sentinel.com or 561-228-5505. Copyright © 2008, South Florida Sun-Sentinel http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/palmbeach/sfl-flpepstein0701sbjul01,0,697175,pri... 7/1/2008