EFTA01108456

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 4, 2014 
tat abiif 
Epstein's accusers press 
to reopen sex abuse case 
MIAMI (AP) — Nearly a 
decade ago. a wealthy U.S. 
financial guru came under 
FBI investigation, suspected 
of sexually abusing dozens of 
underage girls at his Florida 
mansion. Then, abruptly. the 
investigation was dropped 
and Jeffrey Epstein pleaded 
guilty to a single state charge 
of soliciting prostitution. He 
served just over a year in jail. 
Now, two women who say 
they were among his victims 
have won a precedent-setting 
appeals court ruling entitling 
them to see all the documents 
from, the plea bargain dis-
cussions between Epstein's 
high-powered lawyers and 
federal prosecutors. 
Their goal: use those files to 
undo the agreement. reopen 
the investigation and subject 
Epstein to more charges. 
Lawyers for the women —
who were 13 and 14 when the 
alleged assaults occurred —
contend Epstein got special 
treatment because of his 
wealth and connections. His 
attorneys deny that. 
Epstein. 61, made hun-
dreds of millions of dollars 
managing funds for rich 
clients. Shortly after his 2008 
guilty plea, it came to light 
that his lawyers had secretly 
reached a non-prosecution 
agreement months earlier 
with the U.S. Justice Depart-
ment that spared him a 
potentially heavier punish-
ment. 
"Our complaint alleges that, 
prodded by Epstein, the fed-
eral prosecutors deliberately 
concealed the sweetheart plea 
deal they made with him to 
avoid public criticism," said 
Paul Cassell, a University of 
Utah law professor who is 
representing the two women. 
The U.S. attorney's office in 
Miami would not comment. 
But the U.S. attorney at the 
time. R. Alexander Acosta, 
Associated Press 
Jeffrey Epstein in custody in West Palm Beach, Fla. on July 30, 2008. 
Epstein was suspected nearly a decade ago of paying for sex with 
underage girls. The FBI abruptly dropped its investigation a few years 
ago, and Epstein pleaded guilty to a single state charge of soliciting pros-
titution. He served 13 months in jail. Now, two women who say they were 
sexually abused as girls by Epstein are hoping a trove of new documents 
will get the case reopened. 
said in a 2011 letter defend-
ing his office that more evj-
dence came to light after 
Epstein made his deal. 
"Many victims have spoken 
out, filing detailed statements 
in civil cases seeking dam-
ages. Physical evidence has 
been discovered," Acosta 
wrote. "Had these additional 
statements and evidence been 
known, the outcome may 
have been different." 
Epstein has settled lawsuits 
for undisclosed amounts with 
many of the women who say 
they were underage when 
they were paid for sex. 
The case represents the first 
time a federal appeals court 
has ruled that the Crime Vic-
tims' Rights Act of 2004 guar-
antees victims the right to be 
informed about the details of 
how a plea bargain was 
reached, according to legal 
experts and lawyers involved 
in the case. The law marked 
the culmination of efforts 
begun in the 1960s to give 
crime victims more of a say. 
"I hope that the case will 
ultimately set an important 
precedent that federal prose-
cutors can't keep victims in 
the dark about the plea deals 
that they reach." Cassell said. 
Epstein served 13 months 
of an 18-month sentence on 
the prostitution charge, sold 
his Palm Beach home in 2011 
and now divides his time 
between a New York City 
home, a Caribbean island and 
an apartment in Paris, accord-
ing to court documents. He 
also has a large New Mexico 
ranch. 
He donates huge sums each 
year, particularly toward pro-
jects involving new medical 
treatments and artificial Intel-
ligence. His foundation estab-
lished a Harvard University 
program that uses mathe-
matics to study evolutionary 
biology, viruses and disease. 
According to lawsuits filed 
by some of his accusers. 
Epstein relied on assistants to 
recruit underage girls to give 
him massages and perform 
sex acts. They were usually 
paid about $200. 
Some girls were notified 
about the investigation begin-
ning in 2006. But they 
weren't told about the nego-
tiations with federal prosecu-
tors for at least nine months, 
despite a requirement in the 
Crime Victims Rights Act that 
they be kept Informed. The 
two women sued for the files 
and won. 
Federal prosecutors have 
begun turning over the docu-
ments. 
Epstein's attorney, Roy 
Black, the celebrity lawyer 
who is also representing 
Justin Bieber in his DUI and 
resisting-arrest case In Miami 
Beach. declined to comment 
but has asked that the docu-
ments be kept from public 
view, and so far they have 
been. 
In a May 23 court filing, 
Black said that there was no 
conspiracy between prosecu-
tors and Epstein's team to 
violate the victims' rights law 
and that the non-prosecution 
agreement contained many 
provisions Epstein strongly 
opposed, such as registering 
as a sex offender and agreeing 
not to contest certain law-
suits. 
Even if a Judge invalidates 
the plea deal, it will still be up 
to federal prosecutors to 
decide what to do. 
"The court can't force the 
prosecutors to bring charges." 
said Matt Alexrod, a former 
federal prosecutor now In pri-
vate practice in Washington. 
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