More than a dozen victims of Jeffrey Epstein sued The U.S. government on Wednesday accused the FBI of allowing and enabling his sex trafficking for two decades.
The anonymous victims claimed that the FBI received credible information about Epstein’s sex trafficking operation as early as 1996, but did not investigate.
The investigation, which finally began in 2006, ended after Epstein pleaded guilty to solicitation of prostitution in Florida and was sentenced to 18 months in prison, according to the lawsuit. The suit alleges that the FBI continued to ignore tips until Epstein was arrested on sex trafficking charges in 2019, and Epstein committed suicide in prison months later.
“Plaintiffs should not have continued to be subjected to sex trafficking, abuse, rape, torture, and intimidation as a direct and proximate cause of the FBI’s negligence,” the complaint says. “Jane Does 1-12 brought this lawsuit to uncover once and for all the FBI’s role in Epstein’s sex trafficking organization.”
The plaintiffs also allege that the FBI had evidence of crimes that the FBI refused to investigate.
“During the FBI’s investigation, the FBI conspired to allow Epstein and his co-conspirators to continue to victimize Jane Does and other young women, ages 1-12,” the complaint says. “Although the FBI had photos, videos, interviews, and hard evidence of child prostitution, they violated FBI procedures and failed to investigate and arrest Epstein in a timely manner.”
“Consistent with established policies, procedures, rules, and protocols, the FBI complies with established policies, procedures, rules, and protocols to ensure that information regarding potential and ongoing underage erotica, rape, sex with minors, and sex trafficking is reasonably collected. “We had a non-discretionary duty to act against Epstein and prevent him from repeating his crimes.” “Yet, contrary to its own established rules, the FBI failed to take appropriate action and botched and covered up the investigation for years.”
The plaintiffs are seeking monetary damages from the federal government.
The Hill has reached out to the Department of Justice for comment.
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