Jeffrey Epstein’s close associates Ghislaine Maxwell and Jean-Luc Brunel have both been traced to an upmarket resort on the Brazilian riviera, according to one former police officer.
The two, who have gone to ground since Epstein was found hanged in New York jail cell on August 10 aged 66, are thought to have been in Santa Catarina after both their cell phones were traced there, Sky News reports.
Brunel’s phone was traced to the pricey Infinity Blue Resort and Spa there. Maxwell’s cell records also put her in the area, according to the ex US cop.
There was no sign of Brunel, who was last pictured at the exclusive Paris Country Club on July 5, or Maxwell at the hotel when it was visited by reporters.
Jeffrey Epstein’s close associates Ghislaine Maxwell and Jean-Luc Brunel, pictured, have both been traced to an upmarket resort on the Brazilian riviera, according to one ex police officer
Brunel’s phone linked to the pricey Infinity Blue Resort and Spa there in Santa Catarina, pictured. Maxwell’s cell records also put her in the area, according to reports
Following Epstein’s death behind bars in what was ruled a suicide, Attorney General Bill Barr vowed to continue the sex-trafficking case against ‘any co-conspirators’.
Brunel’s lawyer said on October 7 his client is willing to cooperate with officials in Paris who are investigating Epstein.
Maxwell, 57, has been accused in lawsuits of procuring underage girls for Epstein and managing the complex logistics of his perverse crimes. She denies the allegations.
The only public sighting of her since Epstein’s death has been a set of photographs that purported to show Maxwell at an In-N-Out in Los Angeles.
Epstein was found hanged in New York jail cell on August 10 aged 66
DailyMail.com revealed that those photos were staged, possibly to throw investigators off of her trail.
She filed to close her business days after Epstein’s arrest in America and in the UK after his death and had been hiding out at a secluded $3M oceanfront property in Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts.
The daughter of British newspaper publisher Robert Maxwell, Ghislaine first met Epstein at a party in New York City in the 1990s.
The two had a romantic relationship for several years, but the exact nature of their relationship over the following decades remains unclear.
It was Maxwell, though, who first introduced Epstein to Prince Andrew – a relationship that is coming under increasing scrutiny, despite Andrew’s firm denials that he ever engaged in sexual misconduct.
Epstein’s household staff have described her as ‘Lady of the House’ and sworn in depositions that she was at the center of managing his household affairs.
His accusers have said that Maxwell’s authority extended to managing the complex logistics of his perverse activities with girls as young as 14.
Some of the most serious allegations have come from Virginia Roberts Giuffre, who accused Maxwell in a lawsuit of luring her to become an international sex slave for Epstein and his pals.
Prosecutors in Paris are looking into possible charges of rape and sexual assault against Epstein, both for crimes that he allegedly committed on French soil, as well as ones that he may have committed in other countries involving French citizens.
Brunel’s attorney Corinne Dreyfus-Schmidt denied that he is ‘on the run’ and said that he has made himself available to authorities ever since the launch of this latest probe.
‘Before even the preliminary investigation was launched, he made contact with the Paris prosecutor’s office, informing it that he remained at the disposal of the authorities,’ said the attorney.
Brunel was last pictured at the exclusive Paris Country Club on July 5. He not been publicly seen since Epstein was found hanged but his lawyer said on October 7 his client is willing to cooperate with officials in Paris who are investigating Epstein
Maxwell, 57, has been accused in lawsuits of procuring underage girls for Epstein and managing the complex logistics of his perverse crimes. She denies the allegations. Maxwell had been hiding out at this secluded $3M oceanfront property in Manchester-by-the-Sea
Those same prosecutors are also looking into Brunel after three women came forward to allege that they were sexually assaulted or harassed by the Frenchman.
Police began their probe into Brunel shortly after receiving a letter from a former Dutch model, Thysia Huisman, who said that Brunel spiked her drink and then raped her in his apartment just days after the teenager moved to Paris and signed with his agency, Karin Models.
Huisman said that she was aware the statute of limitations had lapsed for her to press charges against Brunel for rape, but urged authorities to look into Brunel and his businesses.
The office of Karin Models was raided by authorities, but its owner was nowhere to be found.
In a court filing submitted in one of her defamation cases, Giuffre described Brunel’s relationship with Epstein.
‘He would bring young girls (ranging from ages as young as twelve) to the United States for sexual purposes and farm them out to his friends, especially Epstein,’ stated one filing.
‘Brunel would offer the girls “modeling” jobs. Many of the girls came from poor countries or impoverished backgrounds, and he lured them in with a promise of making good money.’
Brunel denies supplying underage girls to Epstein and of assaulting models himself, The Daily Beast reports.
The daughter of British newspaper publisher Robert Maxwell, Ghislaine first met Epstein at a party in New York City in the 1990s. The two had a romantic relationship for several years, but the exact nature of their relationship over the following decades remains unclear
This investigation into Brunel runs parallel to one into convicted pedophile Epstein, who at one point gave Brunel $1 million to launch a new modelling agency in the United States.
That investment allegedly earned Epstein a steady supply of underage girls – as many as 1,000 – who were said to be procured by Brunel, often by bringing minor victims from Europe to the United States by offering them a modelling contract through Karin or another agency, MC2.
In one instance, according to claims made by Giuffre in court filings, Brunel provided Epstein with three sisters who were all aged 12 for his birthday.
The Frenchman has been a major player in the modeling industry since the 1970s, and claimed to have launched the careers of Christy Turlington, Jerry Hall and Milla Jovovich.