At least two girls molested by Jeffrey Epstein were labeled prostitutes, drug addicts, thieves and liars by a Palm Beach County prosecutor, according to a recently released grand jury transcript from 2006. These documents were unsealed by Judge Luis Delgado 16 years later, following legal action by various media outlets.
Prosecutors questioned the victims about prostitution and whether they should take any responsibility despite Epstein being accused in the case. The two girls were also asked about their drug and alcohol use, body piercings and posting on their MySpace accounts.
Epstein, a financier, abused multiple minor girls at his Palm Beach mansion from 1996 to 2008. Despite the serious allegations, he was only charged with minor prostitution and seduction.
Detective Joseph Recarey, who led the investigation into Jeffrey Epstein, testified before the grand jury at the time. According to ABC News, he said the investigation began when the stepmother of a 14-year-old girl reported that her daughter was paid $300 to give an older man a massage on Palm Beach Island.
The girl, 15 at the time, testified that she went to Epstein’s home, where she was asked to strip down to her underwear and give him a massage. She also alleged that Epstein used a vibrator on her and gave her an additional $100. She admitted to lying about her age, telling Epstein she was 18. Her parents learned of her visit to Epstein’s home after finding money in her purse.
Prosecutors then questioned the 15-year-old about her personal life, asking about her drug and alcohol use, body piercings and social media posts. They asked about her MySpace page, where she joked about shoplifting, lied about her age and income and claimed to have earned $250,000.
The girl admitted it was all just a joke and that her friends had done the same. A juror asked if she knew her actions were wrong, and she replied, “Yes, I did.”
Prosecutor Lana Belohlavek asked if she “knew” she had committed a crime, to which she said she did not know it was a crime at the time but later realised it could be considered “prostitution or something like that”.
The witness’ attorney, Spencer Kuvin, found the exchange appalling but not surprising, saying prosecutors’ focus on discrediting witnesses rather than prosecuting Epstein reflected their fear of taking on the case.
Detective Recarey testified that one victim visited Epstein’s mansion more than 100 times, each time receiving $200 and gifts, including a rental car. On one occasion, Epstein had nonconsensual sex with her even though she was “screaming ‘no.'”
However, prosecutor Lana Belohlavek focused on the victim’s earnings and asked the detective if she had been asked what she did with the money. The detective said the victim had refused to answer, saying it was “too personal.”
The second victim, who had visited Epstein’s mansion 10 times since she was 16, said he knew her age “from the beginning.” The victim testified that Epstein’s sexual advances gradually increased over time, until he began having intercourse with her the day before her 18th birthday. She said she did not want to have intercourse, but she did not tell him to stop.
The prosecutor asked her about prostitution and she replied “yes”.
Epstein was indicted on one charge of solicitation of prostitution, arrested, and released on bail. The Palm Beach police chief was outraged and referred the case to the FBI. Epstein later pleaded guilty to the original charge and an additional charge of solicitation of a minor, and served a 13-month sentence in a private wing of the county stockade with liberal work release. Following investigative reports in 2018, Epstein was arrested again in 2019 on sex trafficking charges, but died in custody; it was ruled a suicide.