Jeffrey Epstein has died in
prison where he was being held ahead of his sex trafficking trial.
Epstein died of apparent suicide and his body was discovered on Saturday morning at 7.30am local time (11.30am GMT).
The 66-year-old billionaire – who was convicted on federal prostitution charges in 2008 – was arrested July 6 on charges of sex trafficking underage girls and conspiracy to commit sex trafficking.After being deemed a flight risk, he was denied bail and held at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan.
Last month, Epstein was found semiconscious in his cell, with marks on his neck. Prison officials treated his injuries as a possible attempted suicide, a law enforcement official told The
New York Times at the time.
On Friday, a cache of court documents involving Epstein’s accusers were unsealed.
They contain rafts of allegations against him, his longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell and other powerful men, including Prince Andrew.
In the documents, Johanna Sjoberg, an alleged Epstein victim, said Andrew touched her breast while sitting on a couch inside the billionaire’s Manhattan apartment in 2001.
Buckingham Palace said the allegations are “categorically untrue”.
Epstein’s death means his trial will not go ahead but Lisa Bloom, a high-profile lawyer representing three of his alleged victims, has stated her intent to continue proceeding with civil cases. Predator Jeffrey Epstein killed himself. On behalf of the victims I represent, we would have preferred he lived to face justice.Our civil cases can still proceed against his estate. Victims deserve to be made whole for the lifelong damage he caused. We’re just getting started.— Lisa Bloom (@LisaBloom) August 10, 2019She tweeted: “On behalf of the victims I represent, we would have preferred he lived to face justice.
“Our civil cases can still proceed against his estate. Victims deserve to be made whole for the lifelong damage he caused. We’re just getting started.”
Epstein’s downfall spans decades and begins in the 1980s when the New Yorker built a hugely successful career as a financier, eventually forming a company that only managed the assets of individuals worth more than a billion dollars.
Mingling with, and managing the wealth of, the global elite allowed Epstein to form not only business relationships, but also friendships with people such as film director Woody Allen and then-businessman Donald Trump.
There has been no suggestion that Epstein’s conduct was widely known or approved of by friends or business associates.
Epstein was generous – his private Boeing 727-200 jet took Clinton and actors
Kevin Spacey and Chris Tucker on a tour of African countries in September 2002.
But behind the champagne, parties and globe-trotting there was a far darker and seedier side to Epstein’s life. His private island in the US Virgin Islands was sometimes referred to as “Orgy Island” or the “Island of Sin”, and his private jet was dubbed the “Lolita Express”.
Useful websites and helplines:Mind, open Monday to Friday, 9am-6pm on 0300 123 3393Samaritans offers a listening service which is open 24 hours a day, on 116 123 (UK and ROI - this number is FREE to call and will not appear on your phone bill.)The Mix is a free support service for people under 25. Call 0808 808 4994 or email: help@themix.org.ukRethink Mental Illness offers practical help through its advice line which can be reached on 0300 5000 927 (open Monday to Friday 10am-4pm). More info can be found on www.rethink.org.READ MORE... Who Is Jeffrey Epstein, The US Billionaire Charged With Sex Trafficking Underage Girls? Prince Andrew Groped Young Woman At Epstein Apartment, Court Documents Allege The Jeffrey Epstein Scandal Explained For Brits