The feds were apparently investigating whether Jeffrey Epstein, an accused sex trafficker, was taking young girls who appeared to be 11 or 12 onto his private jet as recently as last year, new documents show.
The brief federal investigation into Epstein’s international travel, conducted by the U.S. Marshals Service, was previously undisclosed. It resulted in an air traffic controller reporting that she saw Epstein, the now-deceased financier, disembarking his private jet near the U.S. Virgin Islands with girls who appeared to be pre-teens on one occasion, and girls between 16 and 18 years old on another occasion.
Both alleged incidents occurred between June and November 2018, according to the Associated Press.
Epstein, 66, was accused of trafficking dozens of young girls for sexual abuse over the past several years, flitting between his Palm Beach and Manhattan estates and his private Caribbean island. He was arrested on sex trafficking and conspiracy charges in July, but died by suicide in his Manhattan jail cell Aug. 10 before he could face trial. He pleaded not guilty to the sex trafficking allegations before his death.
The allegations against Epstein date back more than two decades, and Epstein even once faced federal child sex abuse allegations in Florida that were subject to a rigorous investigation. However, he later took a 2008 plea deal that allowed him to plead guilty to solicitation charges, instead of more serious trafficking penalties. His lawyers argued that after that plea deal, the abuse ended. Allegations that led to Epstein’s July arrest also relate solely to incidents that occurred between 2002 and 2005. – READ MORE