A French modelling agent who has been accused of procuring young girls for disgraced US billionaire Jeffrey Epstein denied Monday that he was on the run and said he was available for questioning.
Jean-Luc Brunel “is not on the run” and “firmly contests the allegations circulated by the press”, his lawyer Corinne Dreyfus-Schmidt said in a statement.
Brunel, founder of Karin Models and MC2 Model Management, is accused in American court documents of rape and of procuring young girls for Epstein, who was found hanged in his New York jail cell on August 10 while awaiting trial on charges of sex trafficking.
After his death the investigation spilled over into France, where prosecutors in August launched an inquiry into claims of rape and sex abuse, including of minors.
The French probe is focusing on potential crimes committed against French victims as well as French suspects, including Brunel.
“Before even the preliminary investigation was launched he (Brunel) made contact with the Paris prosecutor’s office, informing it that he remained at the disposal of the authorities”, his lawyer stressed. – READ MORE