US financier Jeffrey Epstein charged with sex trafficking of underage girls
US financier Jeffrey Epstein has been charged with sex trafficking dozens of underage girls in the early 2000s.
Prosecutors in New York accused Epstein of luring girls as young as 14 to visit his mansions in Manhattan and Florida for sex acts before paying them hundreds of dollars each.
Epstein allegedly arranged for the girls to perform nude massages and sex acts, and paid some girls to recruit others.
He has previously argued that the encounters were consensual and he believed the girls were 18 when they occurred.
The latest allegations, which relate to incidents between 2002 and 2005, come more than a decade after Epstein avoided similar charges in Florida due to a plea deal.
“Epstein intentionally sought out minors and knew that many of his victims were in fact under the age of 18, including because, in some instances, minor victims expressly told him their age,” the indictment said.
Epstein has been charged with one count of sex trafficking and one count of sex trafficking conspiracy. He will plead not guilty to both charges, his lawyer told Reuters.
The former hedge fund manager, who is known for socialising with politicians and celebrities including Bill Clinton and US President Donald Trump, first came under investigation for sexual abuse in 2005.
But Epstein avoided charges of sex trafficking dozens of girls by striking a deal in which he pleaded guilty to a lesser state charge of soliciting prostitution.
He served a 13-month sentence in county jail, during which he was allowed to leave during the day to go to the office.
Earlier this year a district judge in Florida ruled that the deal violated the law. However, the US department of justice has argued that there is no reason to cancel the agreement.
Main image credit: Getty