(DIR) Home
New grand jury transcripts released in Jeffrey Epstein case reveal
prosecutors knew about accusations against him
(HTM) Source
----------------------------------------------------------------------
A Florida judge on Monday unveiled 150 pages of grand jury transcripts
from 2006 that looked into sex trafficking and rape allegations made
against financier Jeffrey Epstein.
The newly released documents from 18 years ago unveiled by Palm Beach
County Circuit Judge Luis Delgado revealed that prosecutors knew about
detailed accusations against Epstein — years before the financier was
given a sweetheart deal.
According to 2006 testimony, the investigation against Epstein began a
year earlier. Two victims were questioned during the proceedings —
including one who alleged that Epstein, then in his 50s, molested her
when she was 14 years old.
The second victim said she was raped by Epstein the day before her
18th birthday.
A detective on the case testified that victims were paid for the sex
acts and encouraged to recruit other underaged girls and told "the
younger, the better."
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill in February allowing the
release of the documents on July 1 or afterward. Florida grand jury
transcripts are usually kept secret, but the bill created an exemption
for cases like Epstein's.
"There needs to be a mechanism in some of these rare circumstances
where people can get the truth and where we can try to pursue
justice," DeSantis said when signing the bill.
Despite the gravity of the accusations, Epstein cut a deal with
prosecutors two years later. He spent only 13 months in jail as part
of a work release program after pleading guilty to state prostitution
crimes. He also had to register as a sex offender.
Some of Epstein's victims spoke about the case in February.
"We have been left in the dark with no answers to what is going on and
why things played out the way that they did," said Jena-Lisa Jones,
one of the alleged victims.
The prosecution has been criticized for their questioning of the
victims during the 2006 proceedings, including asking them to
acknowledge they had committed prostitution with Epstein. Prosecutors
also pointed out that some of the victims had past issues such as drug
use and shoplifting.
"One of the big takeaways from the grand jury testimony here is that
people knew about this really problematic conduct for a long time and
not much was done to stop Jeffrey Epstein," said Jessica Levinson, a
CBS News legal contributor.
Epstein was arrested in 2019 on federal charges for sex trafficking
dozens of underage girls. His death in prison before facing trial was
ruled a suicide.
Last year, a Department of Justice watchdog said a "combination of
negligence and miscoduct" allowed Epstein to take his own life.
Twelve of Epstein's accusers sued the FBI in February for failure to
protect them, according to a complaint filed in federal court in New
York. The complaint alleges that tips, reports and complaints about
Epstein's activities were provided to the FBI starting in 1996.
Jericka Duncan
Jericka Duncan is a national correspondent and the anchor for Sunday's
edition of the "CBS Weekend News." Duncan is an Emmy-nominated
journalist who has received several awards for her reporting,
including two National Edward R. Murrow Awards and honors from the
Associated Press and the Philadelphia Association of Black
Journalists, which named her Journalist of the Year in 2012.
______________________________________________________________________
Served by Flask-Gopher/2.2.1