Wednesday June 4.2014 VTII21'11\1 ICT A NTiC Epstein's accusers press to reopen sex abuse case By CURT ANDERSON The Associated Press MIAMI — Nearly a cliaade ago, • wealthy financial gurti Jeffrey Epstein came under FBI investigation, suspected of sexually abusing dozens of-underage girls at Ms Palm Beachma& sion: Then, abruptly; 'the investigation was dropped and felTrey Epstein _.pleaded guilty to Jeffrey Epstein a single state charge of soliciting prostitution. He served jiart over a-year in jail. • Now, two women who say. they were among his victims have won a precedentrsetting appeals court ruling entitling them to see all the documents from the. plea bargain s cessions ' between Eps tein s 41i-iieweiod 1i-titers and federal - prosecutors. Their goal: use those files to undo the agreement, reopen the investigation and subject Epstein to more charges. The women's lawyers contend Epstein got special treatment because of his wealth and Connections. His. attorneys deny that. • Virgin Islands first lady Cecile delongli is the manager of Financial Trust Co.; a financial services coinpany,owne.d by-Epstein. She has also worked with his charitable foundation, the -1:-Epstein Virgin Islands Foundation. ., Epsteinowns one of the territory's largest residential estates, the 68.7- acre Little St James - • Epstein, 61, made. hundreds of mil-. • lions-of dollars :tiianaging (Unfit for rich clients. Shortly after his -2008 guilty plea; it came to light that his lawyers had secretly reached.a nonprosecution agreement months earlier with-the U.S.. Justice Department that spared him a potentially heavier punishment. • "Our complaint alleges that, prod- . : BIG LEE 1 CISTERN SERVICE 1 1 Building • Repairing .,....Sealin: • Ins,ection : dad by Epstein, the federal prosecutors deliberately concealed the sweetheart plea deal they made with him to avoid public criticism," said Paul Cassell, a University of Utah law professor who-is representing the two women. The U.S. attorney's office in Miami would not comment. But the U.S. attorney at the time, R. Alexander Acosta, said in a 2011 let- • ter defending his office that more evidence came to light after Epstein made his deal. "Many victims have spoken out, filing detailed statements in civil, cases seeking damages. Physical diri: dente has been discovered," Acosta Wrote. "Had these additional statemaita and:evidence been knoWn, the outcome may have been different." Epstein has settled lawsuits for undisclosed amounts with many of , the women who say they were undaage ivhen they' ere paid for sea:. The case represents the first trend a federal appeafs court has ruled that the Crime Victims' Rights Act of 2004-guarantees victim the right to be informed about the details of how a plea bargaiiiivas reached, according to- legal experts and lawyers involved* the case. The law marked the culmination of efforts begun in the 1960s-to giVe crime victims more -"I hope that the case will ultimately set •an important precedent that federal prosecutors can't keep victims in the dark about the plea deals that-they reach," Cassell said, Epstein served 13 months of an 18-month sentence en the prostitution charge, sold his Palm Beach home in 2011 and now divides his time between a New York City home, -Little St. James island and an apartment in Paris, according to court doer, uments. He'also: has a large New 'Mexico ranch. He donates huge sums each year,, particularly toward projects involv- - int new medical treatments andarti- , ficial intelligence. His foundation -established a liartrard- University program that uses. mathematics to study evolutionary biology, viruses and-disease. • Abcordifig to lawsuits filed by some of his accusers, Epitein relied on assistants to recruit underage girls to.give him massages and,perform sex acts. They were usually paid about S200. ' Some girls were notified about the investigation beginning in 2006. -But ' -they Weren't told about the negotiations with federal prosecutors for at least nine months, despite a requirement. in the Crime Victims' Rights Act that they be kept informed; The two women.= who were 13 and 14 when the 'alleged assaults occurred -.- --sited for the files and won. 'Although plea negotiations are vital to the functioning of the criminal justice system, a prosecutor and ' target of a criminal prosecution do not enjoy a relationship of confidence and trust V;hen .theyhegotiate," the appeals diatufsaid. - • • Federal prosecutors have begun. . turning over the doctiments: ' Epstein's attorney, Roy Black, the.... ' celebrity laWyerwhe is also represaiting`hartin Bieber iarhis DUI and resisting-arrest case in Miami Beach, declined to comment-but has asked that the documents be kept they have public view; and so fat they have beep. In a May 23 Court filing, Black said that there was no conspiracy between prosecutors and Epstein's team to violate the victims' rights law and that the non-prosecution' agreement-contained many provi.• .sions. Epstein strongly opposed, such as registering asa sex offender and agreeing not to contest certain lawsuits. . ' • ".This was no aweetheiret deal by any stretch of the imagination," Black said in court papers. Even if a judge invalidates the plea deal, it will still be up.to federal prosecutors to decide what to do. . "Theo:girt canitteree theProsecutors to bring. charges," said Man Alexrod, a former.federal prosecutor now in private practice,- in Washington. CONIIMMTAIISOLLI SHIA MONT CISMTS BACKLITSIEN MD SIGNS BLIMPS aMIROPS • Cruise shi Today, June 4. Nonvegjan Getaway (3,969) Freedom of the Seas (3,63 DisneyTantasy14,0001 Caribbean Princess (3,622) Thursday, June 5-Sat No ships Sunday, June 8 Jewel of the Seas (2,501) Monday, June 9 Carnival Valor (2,974) Numbers in pa. Laser Visio VISION WELC DR. MA THERAPEU specializii • Family E • Treatmer • Cataract • Glaucon • Contact Call for a Nisky C1 Tutu Par AUDITION JUNE 11-13 3:30-4:30 pm ........ EFTA01121731