Recently resurfaced video of a 2005 police raid on sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s south Florida mansion appears to give credence to certain details provided by some of Epstein’s accusers.
Fox News obtained the video footage, which was taken during a police walk-through of the home during the initial Florida investigation into Epstein’s alleged sexual misconduct with minors.
Epstein home
The video reveals that the walls were decorated with a number of “illicit photos and imagery of young women,” Fox reported. Photos and artwork of Epstein and his longtime friend and alleged madame, Ghislaine Maxwell, were also seen in the house.
In addition, as numerous alleged victims had recounted seeing in the home, the video also revealed the presence of at least four massage tables, one on each floor of the house and two more in the nearby pool house.
Those massage tables are key, as a number of the alleged victims told authorities that the illicit acts they were forced to perform on Epstein and his friends typically began with or revolved around massages.
Victims’ recollections
In a March 2005 affidavit, a 14-year-old alleged victim shared with investigators her recollection of being recruited by another young woman in Epstein’s employ, according to Fox News. “The victim recalled there being a mural of a naked woman in the room, as well as several photographs of naked women on a shelf,” the affidavit stated. “According to the victim, the woman led her to a room that had a massage table in it.”
The affidavit continued, “Soon after, Epstein walked in wearing only a towel and told the victim to take off her clothes.”
The affidavit added, “Epstein then instructed her to give him a massage.”
Investigations ongoing
Investigators also spoke with the young woman alleged to have brought the 14-year-old girl to Epstein’s home. She shared how she had been recruited at age 17 by yet another young woman. Her first meeting with Epstein at a massage table sounded remarkably similar to the recollection of the 14-year-old girl.
The young woman admitted that she had been paid by Epstein to recruit other young girls on his behalf — “the younger the better” — and recalled successfully introducing at least six girls ages 14 to 16 to Epstein. She also recalled having recruited a 23-year-old woman as well, only to be informed by Epstein that she was “too old.”
The investigation resulted in criminal charges against Epstein. Unfortunately, thanks to a secretive deal reached with prosecutors in 2008, Epstein pleaded guilty to relatively minor state-level charges and served only 13 months in a low-security prison that allowed him to leave six days out of the week in a work-release program.
Epstein was arrested on fresh sex trafficking charges in July. He died in his prison cell on August 10 in what was ruled a suicide by hanging.
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