Wall Street financier Jeffrey Epstein was in the hot seat back in 2008 when he was accused of recruiting several children for an underground network of sex slaves. Following tumultuous proceedings, he pled guilty to one charge of soliciting a 14-year-old prostitute.
Consequently, Epstein was sentenced to 18 months in jail. He spent nights in jail and was allowed to leave the prison during the day to work in his office. After just 13 months, the socialité was released on probation, registered as a Level 3 high-risk sex offender and avoided any federal charges.
“I’m not a sexual predator, I’m an ‘offender,’ ” Epstein told The Post. “It’s the difference between a murderer and a person who steals a bagel.”
Recently, two of the more than 30 known victims of Jeffrey Epstein decided to sue the federal government claiming a violation of the Crime Victims’ Rights Act (CVRA). The women said that they were never notified about the details of the plea deal, which was in violation the CVRA.
Attorney representatives Bradley Edwards and Paul Cassell claim that their clients were never informed of the sweetheart deal prosecutors had offered Epstein, and they were left out of proceedings. Edwards and Cassell referred to the plea deal as “One of the most extraordinarily lenient plea deal arrangements in modern history.”
The victims’ main argument is sustained by a letter from 2008 that Assistant U.S. Attorney Marie Villafana sent to the victims. The letter informed the victims that the FBI had resumed Epstein’s investigation and suggested he would be charged with federal crimes.
Villafana defended herself by claiming that most of the young women who accused Epstein were reluctant to testify against him. She also stated that although she had notified the victims’ lawyers of the hearing date, none appeared in court.
Epstein could still be charged with federal crimes. According to some reports, the victims are seeking assurance that this type of deals won’t be given again to sex offenders, especially those with the type of power and influence that facilitates re-offense. The victims also requested the settlement be donated to other victims of sex trafficking.
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