With the release of new documents in the Jeffrey Epstein case, it has been revealed that prosecutors were aware of the billionaire businessman's crimes of sexual abuse of girls in 2008.
In line with US District Judge Luis Delgado's ruling yesterday, nearly 150 pages of court transcripts from Epstein's prostitution trial in Florida were made public.
In the minutes, it was seen that Florida federal prosecutors who made a deal with Epstein, who was arrested for pedophilia and creating a prostitution network, were aware of Epstein's sexual abuse of girls two years before the deal.
Joe Recarey, a detective in the case, stated in the minutes in question that the investigation against Epstein began in March 2005 after a woman reported that "her high school-aged stepdaughter received $300 in exchange for sexual intercourse."
The minutes also included the testimony of a young girl who said Epstein visited her home hundreds of times and that Epstein gave her money when he sexually abused her.
In his ruling, Delgado said the details in the records were "shocking to people of conscience" and showed why Epstein was "the most notorious pedophile in US history."
"The state supported him"
Brad Edwards, the lawyer for some of the victims in the case, said in a written statement that some of the evidence was presented to the court in a misleading way that led to the guilt of the victims, "The number of victims Epstein abused is very sad because the state supported him when it could have put him in prison."
In 2008, US billionaire Epstein agreed to serve a lighter state sentence than federal sentences in a prostitution case in Florida and made a deal with prosecutors in the case.
Under the deal, Epstein was allowed to go to the office where he worked while serving a 1.5-year prison sentence in Palm Beach.
Epstein was also ordered to serve one year of house arrest after his prison sentence.
Florida prosecutors were criticized by victims' lawyers after the deal.
What is known about the Jeffrey Epstein case?
Jeffrey Epstein, accused of sexually abusing dozens of girls under the age of 18, the youngest of whom was 14, and of creating a prostitution network, was found dead on August 10, 2019, in his cell at New York's Manhattan Metropolitan Central Prison.
Authorities declared the cause of Epstein's death as suicide, but family members denied this and expressed their suspicions.
Epstein's girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell, was found guilty in her trial for allegedly aiding Epstein's illegal activities in an organization that lured underage girls into prostitution for the rich, famous and government officials.
The Esptein case files, which began to be published in early January, brought this issue to the top of the agenda again, and more than 4,500 documents published in 4 parts with the judge's decision revealed the relationship between Epstein and many famous names.
The case files disclosed included famous names such as Prince Andrew, former US Presidents Bill Clinton and Donald Trump, former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, former US Vice President Al Gore, actor Kevin Spacey, singer Michael Jackson, illusionist David Copperfield, lawyer Alan Dershowitz and former New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson.
Although the dossiers included the names of Clinton and Trump, no charges were brought against the former presidents.
