At least two girls molested by Jeffrey Epstein were labelled prostitutes, drug addicts, thieves and liars by a Palm Beach County prosecutor, according to a newly released grand jury transcript from 2006. These documents were unsealed by Judge Luis Delgado after 16 years, following legal actions by various media outlets. 

The prosecutors questioned the victims about prostitution and whether they might bear any responsibility despite Epstein being the accused in the case. The two girls were also asked about their drug and alcohol use, body piercings and postings on their MySpace accounts.

Epstein, a financier, abused several underage girls from 1996 to 2008 at his Palm Beach mansion. Despite serious allegations, he was only charged with minor prostitution and solicitation.

Detective Joseph Recarey, who led the investigation into Jeffrey Epstein, testified before the grand jury at the time. The investigation began after a 14-year-old girl’s stepmother reported her daughter was paid $300 to massage an older man on Palm Beach Island, he said, as per ABC News.

The girl, then 15, testified she had gone to Epstein’s mansion, where she was asked to strip to her underwear and massage him. She also alleged that Epstein used a vibrator on her and paid her an extra $100. She admitted to lying about her age, telling Epstein she was 18. Her parents discovered her trip to Epstein’s after finding the money in her purse.

Prosecutors then questioned the 15-year-old girl about her personal life, asking about her drug and alcohol use, body piercings and social media posts. They asked about her MySpace page, where she had joked about shoplifting, lied about her age and income and claimed to make $250,000.

The girl acknowledged that these were just jokes and that her friends did the same. A juror asked if she knew her actions were wrong, and she replied, “Yeah, I did.”

Prosecutor Lanna Belohlavek asked if she was “aware” that she had committed a crime, to which she replied that she didn’t know it was a crime at the time, but later realised it might be considered “prostitution or something like that.” 

The witness’s attorney, Spencer Kuvin, found this exchange appalling but not surprising, stating that the prosecution’s focus on discrediting the witnesses rather than prosecuting Epstein revealed their fear of taking on the case.  

Detective Recarey testified that one victim visited Epstein’s mansion over 100 times, receiving $200 each time and gifts, including a rented car. On one occasion, Epstein had non-consensual intercourse with her, despite her “screaming ‘no’”. 

However, the prosecutor, Laana Belohlavek, focused on the victim’s earnings, asking the detective if she had been asked what she did with the money. The detective said the victim had declined to answer, saying it was “too personal.”

The second victim, who visited Epstein’s mansion 10 times starting at age 16, said he knew her age “from the very beginning.” The victim testified that Epstein’s sexual advances gradually increased over time until he initiated intercourse with her on the day before her 18th birthday. She stated that she didn’t want to have intercourse but didn’t ask him to stop.  

The prosecutor questioned her about committing prostitution, and she replied “Yes”. 

Epstein was indicted on one charge of solicitation of prostitution, arrested, and released on bond. The Palm Beach Police Chief was incensed and turned the case over to the FBI. Epstein later pleaded guilty to the original charge and an additional charge of soliciting a minor, serving 13 months in a private wing of the county stockade with liberal work release. Following investigative reports in 2018, Epstein was re-arrested in 2019 on sex trafficking charges but died in custody; ruled a suicide.

American financier and notorious sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s “Little Black Book” of contacts has gone up for sale and is expected to fetch upwards of $200,000. He kept the names, phone numbers and addresses of several high-profile people in the book. Some names include former US President Donald Trump, Robert F Kennedy Jr, and attorney Alan Dershowitz, as per a report in the New York Post.

The details of 221 individuals who are not included in the more well-known later version that was initially released by Gawker in 2015 are contained in the personal address book. Bill Panagopulos, owner of Alexander Historical Auctions, told the outlet that there has been a lot of interest in the book. “As far as I know, Mr. Epstein’s estate is in no way involved in any manner. As for the proceeds of the sale, I can say with a great deal of confidence that they will be going to a party that does not, nor ever did have any connection with Mr. Epstein or anyone named in the book,” he said.

The forensic document examiner dated the 64-page address book from 1997 and said that it contains a total of 349 names. Similar to Epstein’s other book, a large number of people who are included have denied ever meeting or being associated with the financier.

On the company website, the item description states that the book is bound in black plastic and has dimensions of 4.5 x 5.25 inches. The entries are printed copies that have “likely reduced in size to accommodate this rather small binding.” The bidding began on Wednesday and will go on for a month.

The auction house stated that the names have “black, hand-applied checkmarks, and five have been highlighted in yellow”. The names are “well-recognized financial and industrial figures” including Mr Trump. However, it is unknown what the checked and highlighted names mean. Further, it also has “a good deal of information hinting at Epstein’s sordid past.”

The auction company claims that a Manhattan-based musician found the book for sale when it was lying on a Fifth Avenue sidewalk in the mid-1990s. The book was kept by the woman, who didn’t realise it belonged to Epstein until 2020 when she was organising her storage unit. She contacted several media outlets, but none of them responded. Later, a PhD student eventually bought the book off of an eBay listing and had it ever since.

The auctioneer stated that each bidder’s identity will be kept confidential. If the seller declines the highest price tendered, the book will be put up for public auction in July.