Blaming The Victim In The Epstein Case

Prosecutors in 2008 blamed teenage victims of the most notorious pedophile in modern history, Jeffrey Epstein, dehumanizing them as prostitutes and drug addicts.

Ninth graders.

She was a 14 year old.

Yet, she was shamed and blamed for a single interaction in 2006 with the most notorious pedophile in modern history, Jeffrey Epstein, a billionaire who allegedly committed suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial for sex trafficking at a Manhattan Correctional Center in New York City. He faced a maximum sentence of 45 years in prison.

Epstein was arrested once before in 2008 for sexually abusing dozens of underage girls. His legal team included Harvard Law Professor Alan Dershowitz and the late U.S. Solicitor General Ken Starr. They got Epstein a sweetheart deal.

Former Miami U.S. Attorney Alex Acosta declined to pursue sex trafficking charges against Epstein, ending an FBI investigation.

Instead, South Florida prosecutors allowed Epstein to plead guilty to a state charge of procuring a person under 18 for prostitution and felony solicitation of prostitution. The deal, which provided immunity for co-conspirators, was kept secret from alleged victims until it was presented in court in violation of the Crime Victims’ Rights Act.

Epstein received a ridiculously lenient sentence, weekend jail for 13 months and a year of home confinement. He signed a nonprosecution agreement with the Acosta’s office, admitting he was a sex offender.

(Later, an investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice concluded Acosta, who was subsequently appointed Labor Secretary by Pres. Donald J. Trump, exercised “poor judgment” but did not engage in professional misconduct.)

Gov. Ron DeSantis modified Florida law to enable the release this week of 176 pages of 2008 grand jury testimony in Epstein’s case.

Teenagers Make Dumb Decisions

The transcript shows that one victim of sexual abuse by Epstein was a 14-year-old girl, a ninth grader who lived with her dad and stepmother and spent her free time shopping at the mall. One day, an acquaintance asked her if she’d like to make $200 by giving a 40-minute massage to a rich guy at his Palm Beach mansion. She said yes.

The girl testified that a female assistant took her to a room and told her to disrobe to her underwear. After 30 minutes of massaging Epstein, he asked her if she wanted to make an extra hundred dollars. She agreed to let him touch her while he committed a sex act on himself. He paid her $300. The acquaintance who recruited her and brought her to the mansion got $200.

The girl, now 16, was being questioned by Palm Beach prosecutor Lanna Belohlave before a grand jury that was investigating Epstein.

“You aware that you committed a crime?” said Belohlavek.