New documents regarding the Jeffrey Epstein case have been published in the US. The documents reveal that prosecutors were aware of the billionaire businessman's crimes of sexual abuse of girls in 2008.
According to US District Judge Luis Delgado's ruling, 150 pages of court transcripts from Epstein's trial in Florida were made public. In the minutes, it was stated that the investigation against Epstein began in 2005 after a woman reported that her high school-aged stepdaughter had received $300 in exchange for sexual intercourse.
Epstein, who was arrested, made a deal with Florida federal prosecutors to accept a state sentence and was allowed to visit the office where he worked during his 1.5-year prison sentence. The deal was criticized by victims' lawyers.
Brad Edwards, the lawyer for the victims in the case, stated that the evidence was presented in a 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."
Epstein was found dead in his New York cell in 2019 and the cause of death was ruled a suicide. Epstein's girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell was also found guilty of luring underage girls into prostitution. The files revealed the relationship between Epstein and many celebrities, but no charges were brought against former presidents such as Clinton and Trump.
