Epstein ‘too scary’ to be on the streets

A woman who said she was abused as a child by Jeffrey Epstein pleaded with a judge yesterday to keep the financier behind bars on sex-trafficking charges, as investigations against him widened to a third state.

With her voice cracking as she fought back tears, Courtney Wild, 31, asked a Manhattan judge to deny Epstein’s application to be allowed bail, telling the court: ‘‘I was sexually abused by Jeffrey Epstein starting at the age of 14. I would just like the court to not grant him bond, just for the safety of any other girls out there. He is a scary person to have walking the streets.’’

Annie Farmer also appeared in court to tell Judge Richard Berman she was flown from New York to New Mexico, where Epstein owns a large property, to perform ‘‘inappropriate’’ acts as a 16-year-old.

She urged that bail be denied and said ‘‘his wealth, his privilege and the notoriety of the case made it more difficult for victims to come forward’’.

Epstein was facing court for the second time after he was arrested in Manhattan on July 6 and accused of running a ‘‘network’’ of abused under-age and teenage girls in New York and Florida in the early 2000s.

His lawyers said he would offer up to US$100 million (NZ$148M) to be bailed to his mansion in New York.

Yesterday a spokesman for Hector Balderas, the New Mexico attorneygeneral, said his office had ‘‘been in contact with survivors’’ and was investigating allegations of ‘‘horrific’’ abuse crimes at Epstein’s sprawling property known as ‘‘Zorro Ranch’’.

The case against Epstein has spanned decades and threatens to sully long-time associates including President Donald Trump, Bill Clinton and the Duke of York. Both Trump and Clinton have distanced themselves from the financier and Buckingham Palace has said that ‘‘any suggestion of impropriety with under-age minors is categorically untrue’’.

The furore over a lenient plea deal that allowed Epstein to escape federal charges a decade ago, when the abuse was first investigated in Florida, led to the resignation of Alex Acosta, Trump’s labour secretary, last week. He was the US attorney who approved the plea deal.

Announcing Epstein’s indictment on federal sex trafficking charges filed in New York, federal attorneys urged other victims to come forward. Over a dozen have done so in the past week. In documents filed by the prosecution, officials disclosed that Epstein’s mansion in New York was filled with photos and data discs of nude, under-age girls. The prosecution said that assets including diamonds, artwork and a Saudi passport bearing Epstein’s photograph and a false name were also discovered during the raid on the house. The prosecution asked that Epstein be denied bail, arguing that he is a flight risk. Judge Berman said he would issue a decision on Friday. – The Times