What did Epstein do?
- activateeditor
- Sep 19
- 4 min read
By Bianca Swanepoel
Who is Jeffrey Epstein? Why is Epstein still relevant?
It was 2005 when Epstein became a name associated with sex offenders, and yet he is still a
name known by everybody today. Why is that? Today, we will discuss who Epstein is, what he
did and why he remains a household name.
Jeffrey Epstein started as a school teacher without any qualifications. He was fired and then
joined a financial firm soon after, with the recommendation from a friend. He quickly climbed
the ranks and opened his own firm.
In March of 2005, in Palm Beach, Florida, two parents reported to the local police that Epstein
paid their 14-year-old daughter to massage him at his mansion, where he then molested her.
Epstein's house was raided, and evidence was found that his encounters with underage girls
started as early as 2002. In 2006, he was charged with soliciting prostitution, and the case was handed over to the FBI. In May of 2007, a draft indictment outlining 60 criminal counts against Epstein was submitted. Epstein abused an alleged 36 girls.
Although there was a large amount of evidence against Epstein, he was not prosecuted to the full extent of the law due to a plea deal. In July of 2007, Epstein's attorneys met with the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida. The top persecutor was Attorney Alex
Acosta. Acosta later became President Trump's Labour Secretary in 2017. The US Attorney's
office stated that they would stop investigating Epstein if he accepted a plea deal where he would plead guilty to two state charges, a prison term and be registered as a sex offender. He would also have to provide monetary compensation for the victims. The plea deal also included a non- prosecution agreement that gave immunity to Epstein, four other co-conspirators and any potential co-conspirators. This agreement was hidden from Epstein's victims so that they could not contest it in court.
Epstein was given 18 months in prison. He was allowed to work 12 hours a day and was released after 13 months on parole.
On July 6, 2019, Epstein was arrested again. He was charged with one count of sex trafficking of minors and one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of minors. He was taken into
custody but died in prison on August 10, 2019, in what was reported as a suicide. Epstein’s
lawyers disputed the FBI’s claim, fueling widespread media speculation and conspiracy theories.
In July 2025, the FBI released CCTV footage of Epstein's suicide. The footage was missing 2
minutes and 53 seconds of video and was later found to have been tampered with, despite the FBI's claims that it was unedited. Although Epstein was only one man, his influence reached many. Epstein was a socialite and had close ties with high-profile people such as Prince Andrew, Donald Trump, Bill Clinton, and Mette-Marit, Crown Princess of Norway. This sparked turmoil within many governing circles, with Prince Andrew being sued by one of Epstein's victims, who stated that he raped her. He later paid her millions and was taken off the Crows registry. Bill Clinton, a former US president, was friends with Epstein and often took trips on Epstein's aeroplane, nicknamed the Lolita Express.
One of Epstein's closest associates was his ex-girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell. She was convicted in 2021 as someone who helped procure children for Epstein's sex trafficking.
Epstein specialised in blackmail. He had cameras in his mansion, on his island, in the bedrooms, and in the bathrooms. He would invite influential people into his home and then record them sleeping with his underage victims.
With this brief background on Epstein, let us bring up the question of what the Epstein files are. Throughout Epstein's case, there were many investigations and raids done by the FBI, with them finding footage from Epstein's cameras and photos showing different influential figures. These files have yet to be released to the public, even though they might shed light on sex offenders in the American government.
The FBI and the US government have stated that the Epstein files do not contain a client list
although it is suspicious how Trump used the release of the Epstein files to garner votes and is now suddenly refusing to release them. Trump has also been known to have close ties with
Epstein, with their friendship starting in the early 1990s, and Epstein stated: "I was Donald
closest friend for 10 years". Trump later revealed that their friendship ended in 2003, two years before Epstein was first arrested.
The conspiracies around the Epstein files have also theorised a larger sex trafficking scheme, and there were also ideas that Epstein was an agent sent by the Israeli government. Both theories were amplified by MAGA supporters and Trump's team when Trump ran for president.
The Epstein case brings up many questions: how and why such a plea deal was given to Epstein, did he really die of suicide, and how far does this case go? Epstein's influence did not stop with his passing, and many hope that releasing the Epstein files would answer these questions.
Currently the Epstein case is brought up in American news with Trump stating that following his election of president that he would release the Epstein files, provoking the masses into action.
Trump then refused to release the Epstein files when voted into office. As of today, the American congress is busy discussing the Epstein files, although it is unclear if they will be released. There is also a bipartisan legislative effort for more public access in progress, driven by Thomas Massie and Ro Khanna. The Epstein files have become more than just Epstein himself but has become a question of who the people are we have put into power. If president Trump or any other influential governing figure is a ‘client’ in the Epstein files it could lead to a revamping of the American government as the sanctity of Presidency is brought into question.
Edited by: Katie Elmer-English
Comments