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Palm Beach Police Chief Says Justice Wasn't Served in Teen Sex Scandal
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ShareJuly 26, 2006 6:47 PM
"I do not feel that justice has been sufficiently served," wrote Palm Beach Police Chief Michael Reiter in a letter he sent to the parents of young girls that he believes are victims of sex crimes committed by New York financier Jeffrey Epstein.
The police chief is angry that despite his department's lengthy probe of Epstein's alleged illegal sexual activity with underage girls, Epstein was indicted on a much lesser charge of soliciting a prostitute. The probable cause affidavit for Epstein's arrest alleges much more serious acts. Epstein is alleged to have repeatedly paid young, and some underage girls, to come to his house, massage him and on a few occasions have sex with him, according to the affidavit.
Meanwhile, the Palm Beach police have referred the matter to the FBI.
Today, Epstein's attorney called the allegations untrue and said that the witnesses' credibility had been called into question.
"The reports and statements in question refer to false accusations that were not charged because the Palm Beach County State Attorney's office questioned the credibility of the witnesses, and a Palm Beach County grand jury decided not to believe the allegations," said Jack Goldberger. "Consequently, the grand jury chose not to accuse Mr. Epstein of anything beyond the solicitation of a prostitute."
Calls seeking comment from the Palm Beach County State Attorney Barry Krischer were not returned today.
Chief Reiter has not been happy with Krischer's handling of the matter for some time. He wrote an angry letter to him in May urging him to consider disqualifying himself from the prosecution of the case saying: "I must renew my prior observation to you that I continue to find your office's treatment of these cases highly unusual," wrote Reiter. He urged Krischer to "consider if good and sufficient reason exists to require your disqualification from the prosecution of these cases." The police believed they had probable cause to arrest Epstein on four counts of unlawful sex acts with minors and one count of lewd and lascivious molestation.
While Epstein was indicted on charges of soliciting a prostitute, the allegations in the police affidavit are more serious. Among them:
- A girl who began massaging Epstein when she was 16 years old told police she became his "number one girl" and had visited his house hundreds of times. According to police, she said that when she told Epstein she was 16 years old, he advised her not to tell anyone that. This same girl said she and Epstein had an understanding that no vaginal penetration would occur. Yet on one occasion, she told police, Epstein forced himself on her. "She said her head was being held against the table forcibly, as he continued to pump inside her. She screamed 'No!' and Epstein stopped," according to the affidavit. Epstein allegedly paid the girl $1,000 for that visit.
- A 14-year-old girl and her family reported that Epstein had touched the girl's vaginal area with a vibrator when she was at his house.
- One woman who would bring young girls to Epstein's house to massage him told police she brought six girls to see him, and that they were all ages 14 to 16.
- Many of the girls told police that Epstein would try and convince them to take off more clothing or to go further sexually than they were comfortable doing. "Jeff would try to get away with more and more on each massage," said one girl who began massaging Epstein when she was 16 years old.
Click here to read ABC News' full coverage on the Millionaire Sex Scandal.
July 26, 2006 in Millionaire Sex Scandal | Permalink | User Comments (19)
Whoa.....This is Palm Beach Territory...The most Liberal area in the United States. This guy is obviously a "Liberal" identified by his close friends and associates. This is definitely a sweep under the rug criminal charge. Check out the other Blog title listed "NY Moneyman Arrested in Teen Sex Scandal". Boys will be boys.
Posted by: botcha-galoop | Jul 27, 2006 11:15:33 AM
Witnesses' credibility had been called into question - key word witnesses, plural, meaning this is beyond conspiracy and where there's smoke U bet there is a fire. This guys lures young girls into situations that are inappropriate, I don't care if all they do is massage, they have no business massaging an adult male. Prosecute his butt and save future victims the hassal of saying No!
Posted by: Chris | Jul 27, 2006 1:37:32 PM
Totally discraceful. Who knows what we will hear in the news tomorrow. The guy should get his but money talks. Im not quite sure this has anything to do with being liberal though as a Mother in "Conservative" Bush country was just released after murdering her kids. This nation as a whole has a serious problem.
Posted by: botcha better-galoop | Jul 27, 2006 1:53:38 PM
Money talks....go figure
Posted by: DAVID | Jul 27, 2006 2:24:01 PM
Money talks....go figure
Posted by: DAVID | Jul 27, 2006 2:25:08 PM
First of all has anyone stopped to ask WHY A 16 YR OLD GIRL WOULD BE MASSAGING A GROWN MAN????? If that question was posed I am so sure this man would have been charged with much more serious crimes. It totally unacceptable that this man is getting a slap on the wrist!!!! Were these girls prostitutes? Why didn't the parents have anything to say? More information is needed , because this story reeks of cover up for the rich man.
Posted by: Patricia | Jul 27, 2006 3:10:36 PM
Not a liberal, but a republican with ties and money who has undoubtedly paid someone off to get the reduced charge.
Posted by: Ohio Boy | Jul 27, 2006 4:30:21 PM
I am sorry, but since when did being a liberal mean that you approve of unlawful sex acts against woman and young girls? Let's focus on the facts and not bring liberalism and conservatism into the conversation as that has nothing to do with what this man had done. And I believe people on both sides would like to see justice served no matter which political side you may be on.
Posted by: Mel | Jul 27, 2006 4:32:40 PM
What does being "a Liberal identified by his close friends" have to do with anything? Do people who make comments on these newsstories have anything to do besides try to cast aspersions based on "conservative" versus "liberal"? This obviously has more to do with him being wealthy and well-connected.
Posted by: dragonfly | Jul 27, 2006 5:11:58 PM
this guy should be in jail for a long time. Is Krischer elected? If he is, and this is all Epstein is charged with, Krischer should be impeached. If this isn't statutory rape, they should just get rid of the laws. It's hard to see how these acts can't meet the broadest definition of sexual conduct with a minor.
Posted by: mike | Jul 27, 2006 6:37:30 PM
Epstein is pals with former President Bill Clinton and Donald Trump and is known to contribute tens of thousands of dollars to the Democrat Party.
Posted by: Richard | Jul 27, 2006 6:41:06 PM
I live in NYC where Epstein lives and this story has been swept under the rug here.
I work on Wall Street and when I read the police affadavit, there's no way in hell that Epstein could manage money for billionaires if he's jetting back and forth between NYC and Palm Beach as often as he is and getting 2-3 "massages" a day. It's just not possible from a time perspective.
This is definitely a coverup. Beyond that, I'd bet dollars to donuts that there's a LOT more here than we've seen thus far. Money manager to billionaires my foot. This guys nothing but a pureveyor of jailbait to the wealthy. No wonder it's getting swept under the rug. If this guy goes down there's probably lots of stories he has to bring down a lot of other powerful people.
Makes one wonder if Epstein, Bill Clinton, Kevin Spacey, and Chris Tucker were the only ones on Epstein's plane trip to Africa or if there weren't a bevy of underage girls on board as well.
Posted by: somethingfishy | Jul 27, 2006 6:57:08 PM
JAIL?!?! no he doesent need jail time.... He needs his cut off...
Posted by: photo freak | Jul 28, 2006 12:22:40 AM
Most disgusting thing about all of this is that it doesn't matter how many of us write in to this blog about the insanity of Epstein getting away with his true crimes - he associates with people in high places and there is no question in my mind - he will get away with it. He will get a slap on the hand and that is all. Nothing more. That is how the system works - he will be "protected" by people like Bill Clinton etc.
Posted by: Lou | Jul 28, 2006 8:34:12 AM
typical example of what people do when they have too much money
Posted by: Rod M | Jul 28, 2006 9:03:24 AM
A PERVERT IS NOT LIMITED TO ONE POLITICAL PARTY
Posted by: CHAT | Jul 29, 2006 2:34:00 AM
Spend some time and read the police report on the smoking gun. If he gets away with this behavior, then there is something very wrong. He molested many many undraged girls after luring them into his home. He is a pedophile, the worst kind of sexual predator.The prosecutors office has fallen down miserably. His assistant, Sarah Kellen, who is an accomplice to these multiple felonies, was never arrested. Even though I was able to find pictures of her attending a party in the Hamptons in the begining of July, simply by googling her name. The girlfriend Nadia, is an illegal, and in spite of the fact that she engaged in sex with a minor, which was documented in photographs and displayed prominently in Epsteins house. She has not been arrested. COME ON!!! I only hope the FBI sends his sick man to jail.
Posted by: Judy | Jul 29, 2006 3:35:18 PM
INSTEAD OF WAISTING TIME, WHY DOESN'T SOMEONE CALL, START A PETITION OR SOMETHING PRODUCTIVE? or someone with money pay off the people to stop this. Use money to fight money. Think of it as donating to charity, only BETTER!
Posted by: steph | Aug 1, 2006 12:11:24 PM
The comments posted thus far evince a complete and utter lack of understanding of the criminal justice system. Evidence in this case was presented to a GRAND JURY who found the witnesses and evidence of sexual contact with minors to be incredible. As such, they determined the only charge justified by the CREDIBLE EVIDENCE was solicitation. Last I checked people, you're innocent until proven guilty. In this case, the evidence was so weak that it did not meet the lower standard of proof required for a grand jury to issue an indictment.
Posted by: Bryan | Aug 2, 2006 9:49:41 AM
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