‘BILLIONAIRE’S SEX RING’
BILLIONAIRE Jeffrey Epstein has been arrested and charged with sex trafficking dozens of underage girls, reports claim.
Two officials said Epstein, 66, was taken into custody on Saturday on charges involving allegations that date to the 2000s, AP reported.
5
5
Epstein is expected to appear in a Manhattan federal court on Monday on charges that could reportedly put him away for a maximum of 45 years.
The Daily Beast reported that Epstein will be accused of sexually exploiting dozens of underage girls after paying them cash for "massages".
Epstein allegedly molested or sexually abused the girls at his mansions in New York and Florida.
He is expected to be charged with one count of sex trafficking of minors and one count of conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking of minors, according to reports.
Epstein was arrested at Teterboro Airport in New Jersey after flying in from Paris, according to NBC News.
The Miami Herald reported that a dozen federal agents broke down the door to Epstein’s Manhattan townhouse to execute search warrants at around the same time.
The arrest comes amid renewed scrutiny of that once-secret deal that ended a federal investigation and allowed Epstein to plead guilty to lesser state charges.
'UNDERAGE GIRLS ABUSED'
In 2008, financier Epstein pleaded guilty in Florida to state charges of soliciting and procuring a person under age 18 for prostitution.
He was sentenced to just 13 months in jail thanks to a sweetheart deal with cops.
Epstein was required to reach financial settlements with dozens of his once-teenage victims and he had to register as a sex offender.
On Wednesday, a federal appeals court ordered the unsealing of nearly 2,000 pages of records related to a civil case that may contain lurid claims about Epstein’s sexual history.
5
5
The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals' ruling relates to records in a since-settled defamation case after Epstein pleaded guilty to soliciting in 2008.
Records in the defamation case contained descriptions of sexual abuse by Epstein along with new allegations of sexual abuse by "numerous prominent American politicians, powerful business executives, foreign presidents, a well-known prime minister and other world leaders."
According to court documents in Florida, authorities say at least 40 underage girls were brought into Epstein's Palm Beach mansion for what turned into sexual encounters.
Female fixers allegedly looked for suitable girls locally and in Eastern Europe and other parts of the world.
Epstein also has maintained a home in New York City, a ranch in New Mexico and a private Caribbean island.
According to court documents, some girls were brought to those places as well.
MOST READ IN NEWS
The appeals court said the judge presiding over the New York case sealed about one-fifth of all documents filed in the case, some without just cause or proper explanations for their sealing.
It ordered some records to be released as soon as lawyers have a chance to appeal to the entire 2nd Circuit, if they choose.
Others, the three-judge panel decided, will have to be reviewed by a lower-court judge before they are released.
5
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at [email protected] or call 0207 782 4368 . You can WhatsApp us on 07810 791 502. We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours.
Topics