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Copyright 2009 ProQuest Information and Learning All Rights Reserved ProQuest SuperText Copyright 2009 Palm Beach Post Palm Beach Daily News
September 20, 2009 Sunday Dn Edition
SECTION: A SECTION; Pg. A.1
LENGTH: 1126 words
HEADLINE: ATTORNEY FOR EPSTEIN VICTIMS: 'THAVE NEVER SEEN A STRANGER CASE' BYLINE: MICHELE DARGAN, MICHELE DARGAN, Daily News Staff Writer
BODY:
Sex offender Jeffrey Epstein could have been charged with multiple counts of five federal offenses involving sex acts with minors and faced a life sentence, but, instead, the government agreed not to prosecute him or his procurers if he spent 18 months in the county jail on two state charges.
Those were the details unsealed Friday in a nine-page federal non- prosecution agreement that lets Epstein and co-conspirators Sarah Kellen, Adriana Ross, Lesley Groff and Nadia Marcinkova off the hook for any of those past crimes.
"He could have gone to prison for life and somehow he's getting immunity in exchange for nothing?" said Fort Lauderdale attorney Brad Edwards, who represents three Epstein victims. "I have never seen a stranger case. To me, it's more spectacular what's not in it. It's the U.S. Attorney's Office saying we'll do everything in our power to see he doesn't get punished."
Edwards has been fighting for a year in federal and state court to unseal the agreement.
"The non-prosecution agreement raises more questions than it answers," said Miami attorney Adam Horowitz, who represents seven victims. "Why did all the co-conspirators receive immunity? Why were the victims not consulted re- garding the sentence? Why did he receive such a minimal sentence?
The federal deal has remained sealed in Epstein's state court file since he pleaded guilty in June 2008 to state charges of procuring a minor for prostitution and soliciting prostitution.
U.S. Attorney's Office does not comment
The federal charges he could have faced were: conspiracy to persuade minor females to engage in prostitution, conspiracy to travel to engage in illicit sexual conduct with minor females, persuading minor females to engage in pros- titution, traveling to engage in illicit sexual conduct with minor females and causing a person under 18 years to engage in sex for money while knowing they are underage.
The charges carry various statutory penalities ranging from 10 years to life, with a minimum mandatory of at least 10 years.
Alicia Valle, spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney's Office in Miami, declined comment.
Expert: Feds take few sex-assault cases
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