On Jan. 9, the fifth and final batch of documents regarding ties to American financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein were released.
In total, according to NBC News, 4,553 pages of documents were released, connecting more than 150 people to his network, which centered on paying young women, largely minors, to partake in sexual acts under the facade of “massage therapy.”
The unsealed documents (which do retain some redactions) come from a variety of court filings, emails, police reports, government documents and depositions, per Vox, with figures vital to the case, including former employees and victims of Epstein and accomplice and convicted sex offender Ghislaine Maxwell.
The documents released do not contain an actual list of Epstein associates but the flight logs of Epstein’s private jet called “Lolita Express,” in reference to the 1955 novel by Vladimir Nabokov which discusses hebephilia, a sexual preference in prepubescent children, and other documents that have been made public in the past, including the before-mentioned names.
Through his plane, his two islands, Little and Big St. James, and his various homes worldwide, Epstein was able to cover what he was doing thoroughly, effectively and lengthily.
While there is not an exact number of how many young women and girls Epstein took advantage of, CBS News reports that Judge Loretta Preska, who oversaw Epstein’s original case, listed 187 “Jane Does” on the court documents. Some of those appear twice, and others are minors, so it is unknown the final tally of names.
The 2019 indictment charges Epstein with sexually exploiting and abusing “dozens” of underage girls at his homes around the world, per The Cut, with allegations dating back as far as 2002. However, it seems likely that the total number of victims is much higher.
Shortly following the indictment, Epstein died via suicide in the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York, NY after being charged by federal prosecutors with sex trafficking conspiracy and one count of sex trafficking with underage girls. He pled not guilty and died in prison before facing trial.
