Billionaire and New York Financer Jeffrey E Epstein charged with sex trafficking of minors
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Jeffrey E. Epstein, a billionaire New York financier long accused of molesting dozens of young girls, has been charged by federal prosecutors with sex trafficking, two people with knowledge of the case said on Saturday night, New York Times reports.
Two law enforcement officials said Epstein was taken into federal custody Saturday on charges involving allegations that date to the 2000s.
The officials spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the pending case.
Epstein is expected to appear Monday in Manhattan federal court. A message was sent to his attorney seeking comment. Epstein’s arrest was first reported by The Daily Beast.
Epstein was arrested in the New York area and is in federal custody. He is expected to appear before a federal magistrate on Monday.
Mr. Epstein had avoided federal criminal charges in 2007 and 2008in a widely criticized plea dealafter he was accused of paying dozens of underage girls for sexual massages in Florida.
Before then, Epstein, a former hedge-fund manager, had been friendly with Donald J. Trump, former President Bill Clinton and Prince Andrew, the Duke of York.
The new arrest come amid renewed scrutiny of that once-secret deal that ended a federal investigation and allowed Epstein to plead guilty to lesser state charges.
The deal also required financial settlements to dozens of Epstein’s victims.
Women who said they were Epstein’s victims have repeatedly assailed federal prosecutors for reaching the nonprosecution agreement with him more than a decade ago.
Jack Scarola, a lawyer for two of the women, said he had not been informed of the arrest.
“But given his extensive pattern of past criminal conduct and the apparent addictive nature of his aberrant behavior, an arrest comes as no surprise,” Mr. Scarola said on Saturday night.
