Financier Jeffrey Epstein has been found dead in his prison cell in New York while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. /VCG Photo
Wealthy U.S. financier and convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein was found dead at a New York jail Saturday, following a day after unsealed documents in New York revealed the extent of his abuse of young women at his homes in Manhattan and Palm Beach, Florida, between 2002 and 2005.
Epstein, 66, had been held without bail since he was arrested on July 6 on charges relating to one count of sex trafficking of minors and one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of minors. Epstein had denied the charges and pleaded not guilty. He had been sentenced to 13 months in prison in June 2008 on charges of soliciting prostitutes, including minors, but allowed to leave for work and registered as a sex offender.
Jeffrey Epstein's (L) lawyer Martin Weinberg speaks during a bail hearing related to Epstein's sex trafficking case at Daniel Patrick Moynihan Courthouse, New York, U.S., July 15, 2019. /VCG Photo
His death triggered outcry over how the high-profile detainee could die in custody. The government and FBI have launched probes immediately. U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr said he was "appalled" to learn of Epstein's death and instructed the Justice Department's inspector general to probe the circumstances. "Mr Epstein's death raises serious questions that must be answered," Barr said in a statement.
Multiple media reports said Epstein had died by suicide. The New York Times and other media reported Epstein hanged himself. The city medical examiner's office confirmed Epstein's death but not the cause. The celebrity had been found unconscious in his cell last month with injuries to his neck shortly after he was denied bail, which Prison officials suspected it's a suicide attempt and placed him on suicide watch following the incident.
Elsewhere, Epstein's alleged victims have expressed disappointment that he will no longer stand trial, saying the man taking the easy way out. A lawyer for some of the alleged victims told reporters she would still seek compensation for them. Republican Senator Ben Sasse, who heads the Senate's judiciary oversight committee, said the government had failed Epstein's alleged victims "yet again."
Jeffrey Epstein's body was transported into Presbyterian-Lower Manhattan Hospital, New York, U.S., August 10, 2019. /VCG Photo
Epstein, prior to the criminal cases against him, he was best known in U.S. for his wealth and high-profile connections. His friends included President Donald Trump, former president Bill Clinton and Britain's Prince Andrew and Trump referred to Epstein as a "terrific guy" in 2002, saying Epstein "likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side."
His first allegations of sexual abuse can trace back to 2005. A woman reported him to the Palm Beach police, alleging her 14-year-old stepdaughter had been taken to Epstein's mansion by an older girl, sparking an 11-month investigation by FBI and the girl was allegedly paid 300 U.S. dollars to strip and massage Epstein.