Jeffrey Epstein has entered a not guilty plea to two charges of sex trafficking in federal court
The disgraced billionaire, 66, appeared in federal court for the first time on Monday, where he entered in a dark blue jumpsuit and took his seat next to his defense attorney for the first of two hearings in his case.
His arrival came hours after prosecutors unveiled what they had uncovered from Epstein’s house after they raided his mansion on Saturday night, turning up thousands of graphic photos which included images of underage girls.
Agents also found Epstein’s massage room set up just as victims described it from 15 years ago, with a table and assortment of sex toys.
At one point during the proceedings, Epstein’s lawyer compared the victims who previously accused his client of sexual assault to sex workers – while two of the women were seated just feet away.
‘It is fair to say that a significant segment of the law enforcement community in Florida thought that what we had was simple prostitution,’ stated Weingarten.
He later referred to the allegations involving Epstein as being ‘ancient conduct.’ When the judge pointed out that the victim’s being underage would make the allegations a crime regardless, Weingarten responded: ‘There’s no statutory rape because there was no penetration.’
Those allegations are piling up though, with the US Attorney’s office revealing that they have received multiple calls from witnesses that had yet to be interviewed in the case in the 36 hours since Epstein’s arrest.
In addition, any victims of Epstein in New York will have the right to file a civil claim against him in the state anytime before August 14, 2020 – even if the statute of limitations has expired in the case.
Federal prosecutors informed the court though that they ‘don’t expect any imminent superseding indictments in this case.’
Federal charges: Jeffrey Epstein is charged with two counts of sex trafficking for his alleged sexual abuse of three minors
Defense: ‘It is fair to say that a significant segment of the law enforcement community in Florida thought that what we had was simple prostitution,’ stated Weingarten (victims Michelle Licata and Courtney Wild above)
Epstein and his lawyer, Reid Weingarten, ultimate opted to delay his bail hearing, asking for three more days to prepare arguments against the bail memorandum filed by federal prosecutors.
It was then ordered by the judge that the request for bail be submitted on Thursday and prosecutors turn in their response on Friday ahead of a heading next Monday when he would rule on the matter.
Epstein entered his plea just hours after it was revealed that an ‘extraordinary volume of photographs of nude and partially-nude young women or girls’ was discovered by agents over the weekend during their search of Epstein’s Manhattan mansion.
Federal prosecutors also detailed some of the other evidence discovered inside the home in the bail memorandum, which asks that Epstein remain in prison ahead of trial.
That listed ‘documents and other materials, such as contemporaneous notes, messages recovered from the defendant’s residence that include names and contact information for certain victims, and call records that confirm the defendant and his agents were repeatedly in contact with various victims during the charged period. ‘
Meanwhile, the search uncovered ‘at least hundreds—and perhaps thousands—of sexually suggestive photographs of fully- or partially nude females.’
A number of those photographs ‘appear to be of underage girls, including at least one girl who, according to her counsel, was underage at the time the relevant photographs were taken.’
It is also noted that some photos were discovered in a locked safe, where agents ‘also found compact discs with hand-written labels including the following: “Young [Name] + [Name],” “Misc nudes 1,” and “Girl pics nude.”‘
The indictment against the billionaire pedophile was unsealed on Monday morning, and states that Epstein ‘enticed and recruited, and caused to be enticed and recruited, minor girls at his mansion in Manhattan and his estate in Palm Beach to engage in sex acts with him.’
There were dozens of these underage girls according to the indictment, who would receive hundreds of dollars after being forced into sex acts or, as the indictment states, finding others to engage ins ex acts with Epstein.
‘Moreover, in order to maintain and increase his supply of victims, Epstein also paid certain of his victims to recruit additional girls to be similarly abused by Epstein, reads the court filing.
‘In this way, Epstein created a vast network of underage victims for him to sexually exploit.’
Epstein, 66, was aware the the girls were underage according to the indictment, which focuses on just three victims.
There is no mention of any other individuals who engaged in any sexual assault or molestation of minor females though, despite previous victims claiming this was a common occurrence with Epstein and his high-powered pals.
In a press conference Monday morning, the FBI declared that this was currently the number once case for the agency while encouraging any other victims or individuals with knowledge of Epstein’s alleged offenses to contact federal agents.
‘We are asking anyone who may have been victimized by Jeffrey Epstein, or anyone who may have information about his alleged criminal behavior, to please call us,’ said FBI Assistant Director William F. Sweeney Jr.
‘We want to hear from you, regardless of the age you are now, or whatever age you were then, no matter where the incident took place. The bravery it takes to call us might empower others to speak out about the crimes committed against them.’
Epstein was ordered to forfeit his $77 million Manhattan mansion in the indictment.
It is also suggested that he could be forced to forfeit other property, which could refer to his New Mexico ranch, two properties in the US Virgin Islands or his $12 million Palm Beach estate.
There are also his many cars, boats and jets, which were also outlined by federal prosecutors in the bail memorandum.
‘[T]he defendant has access to innumerable means to flee. His sex registration documentation of “current vehicles” lists no fewer than 15 motor vehicles, including seven Chevrolet Suburbans, a cargo van, a Range Rover, a Mercedez-Benz sedan, a Cadillac Escalade, and a Hummer II,’ states the filing.
‘These cars are registered in various states and territories including the Virgin Islands, New York, Florida, and New Mexico. The defendant also has access to two private jets, giving him the ability to leave the country secretly and on a moment’s notice and to go virtually anywhere he wants to travel.’
His lawyer has declined requests for comment ever since the moneyman’s arrest on Saturday.
Give it up: Federal prosecutors are demanding that Epstein be ordered to forfeit his $40 million Manhattan mansion in the indictment (above)
Break in: DailyMail.com obtained exclusive photos which show the aftermath of the search by federal agents, including Epstein’s damaged and splintered door and his extreme security measures (keypad and fingerprint scan on right)
The charges stem specifically from the alleged sexual assaults of the three minor victims and the actions of three Epstein employees between 2002 and 2005. The victims and employees are not named in the indictment.
Two of those minor victims were based near Epstein’s $6 million Palm Beach estate, while the other was near his Manhattan mansion.
The first count of sex trafficking occurred when Epstein’s employees in New York called the two minor victims in Palm Beach to schedule a time for the minors to meet with the convicted pedophile.
The second count relates to his alleged enticing of the minor victim from New York to commit a commercial sex act.
It is unclear whether those employees are cooperating with the investigation
The girls would be taken to Epstein’s houses according to the indictment and asked to give him a massage.
These massages ‘would be performed nude or partially nude,’ ‘would become increasingly sexual in nature,’ and ‘would typically include one or more sex acts.’
‘As alleged, Jeffrey Epstein abused underage girls for years, operating a scheme in which girls he victimized would recruit others for Epstein to exploit and abuse,’ said US Attorney Geoffrey Berman on Monday.
‘Epstein exploited girls who were vulnerable to abuse, enticed them with cash payments, and escalated his conduct to include sex acts, often occurring at his residence on the Upper East Side of Manhattan.’
He continued: ‘While the charged conduct is from a number of years ago, the victims – then children and now young women – are no less entitled to their day in court. My Office is proud to stand up for these victims by bringing this indictment.’
On June 30, 2008, Epstein entered a guilty plea to state charges of soliciting an underage girl for prostitution, and ultimately served just 13 months of his 18-month sentence.
He was never charged with a federal crime.
That time was served not in a prison, but rather the Palm Beach Stockade, which is a local detention center.
Epstein was also allowed to leave six days a week to go work out of his West Palm Beach office during his time behind bars. A few months later, the judge approved a trip to New York City to visit his lawyer.
After his release he did have to register as a sex offender in some states, but not New Mexico, where he owns a ranch, or the US Virgin Islands.
Epstein signed a non-prosecution agreement as well in the case, which was overseen by President Trump’s current Secretary of Labor, Alex Acosta.
That agreement is currently at the center of anther court case as the victims who first came forward are trying to have the case retried.
The non-prosecution deal does no extend to the Southern District of New York however, and while the young girls in the indictment were in Palm Beach at the time of the criminal action detailed by prosecutors, the actual crime was happening in New York.
A federal judge recently ruled that the agreement violated the rights of more than 30 victims, but the Department of Justice has stated that the case should not be retried in a court filing.
Acosta, who in his role as US attorney violated the rights of Epstein’s alleged victims when he neglected to notify them that they were no longer pursuing federal charges, has not commented on any of the current cases involving the pedophile.
The Southern District of New York’s Public Corruption Unit investigated Epstein, who is facing up to 45 years behind bars if found guilty on both counts: sex trafficking of minors and conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking of minors.
The charges against Epstein were filed following dozens of interviews with victims, who also spoke with the FBI and the NYPD.
The Public Corruption Unit is tasked with heading up the ‘prosecution of corruption crimes committed by elected and appointed officials, government employees, and individuals and companies doing business with the city, state, and federal government.’
Among the crimes it investigates are ‘bribery, embezzlement, and frauds committed against local, state, and federal government agencies,’ but no mention of sex trafficking.
It is also where former FBI director James Comey’s daughter Maurene is employed as a lawyer.
She has been assigned to the case and was seen outside federal court on Monday.
Evidence: Found in Epstein’s home were contemporaneous notes, messages recovered from the defendant’s residence that include names and contact information for certain victims
College co-eds: Protesters from NYU came out to Federal Court House with Jeffrey Epstein pictures to protest.
Epstein’s bail hearing later today will come less than 48 hours after he was taken into custody by federal agents at Teterboro Airport.
It all happened just before 5pm on Saturday, when Epstein reentered the country for the first time since June 16, when he took off from the same airport bound for Paris.
Prior to that trip, Epstein had been crisscrossing the US as he moved between his properties in New York City, Palm Beach, New Mexico and the US Virgin Islands.
Epstein’s arrest comes in the wake of a three-part expose in the Miami Herald detailing his settlements with victims and sweetheart plea deal.
Legal eagles: Maurene Comey, the daughter of former FBI director James Comey, was seen outside court on Monday (with Alex Rossmiller on right)
Around the same time he was being arrested, agents with the FBI were seen breaking down the door to his Upper East Side mansion to execute a search warrant in the case.
DailyMail.com obtained exclusive photos which show the aftermath of that search, including Epstein’s damaged and splintered door.
The episode is likely to cause embarrassment to Prince Andrew, who was an associate of Epstein but has now severed ties.
Groups of unidentified men were seen coming and going at the property until 2am on Sunday.
A security guard from a nearby building told DailyMail.com that between 20 to 25 law enforcement officials showed up at Epstein’s home at around 6:30pm on Saturday.
Most of those were FBI agents, the security guard said. They were accompanied by several officers – both uniformed and plain-clothed – from the New York Police Department.
The guard told DailyMail.com that it took them approximately 10 to 15 minutes before they could pry the door open.
The front entrance appears to be outfitted with fingerprint and keypad technology for security purposes.
The guard says that in the hours since the raid, more law enforcement personnel arrived at the home, where they are expected to work well into Sunday morning.
The guard, who identified himself as Tom, said he would see Epstein there once or twice a month.
He said that two weeks ago, he noticed someone on the street taking photographs of Epstein’s residence.