Who Was Jeffrey Epstein? What You Need to Know About the Disgraced Child Sex Offender

Trigger warning: This article includes mentions of sexual abuse, suicide, and cannibalism.

In 2005, financier Jeffrey Epstein was accused of molesting a 14-year-old girl at his private mansion. The complaint would launch an over two-decade-long investigation on allegations that Epstein sexually abused and trafficked dozens of women and children.

He was eventually arrested in 2019 without bail for yet another slew of sex trafficking charges, but much of the documents involved in the case were kept away from the public—until late last year when a bill requiring transparency on the case was filed into law. This prompted the United States Justice Department to release more than three million pages, 2,000 videos, and 180,000 photos that detailed his atrocious crimes.

The harrowing information included references to cannibalism and “ritualistic sacrifice,” of which Epstein and his inner circle allegedly partook in. These claims, which came from an anonymous man interviewed by the FBI in 2019, are yet to be verified. According to the man, he was sexually assaulted on Epstein’s yacht where he also witnessed “babies being dismembered” and prominent figures consuming “human feces.” Among his other victims who publicly and bravely spoke out against Epstein were Courtney Wild, Jennifer Araoz, and Virginia Roberts Giuffre.

Epstein was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. He was highly skilled in math and graduated high school early, before briefly attending both The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art and New York University. That said, reports and court documents revealed that Epstein never earned a degree from these schools. Despite this, he was hired at the Dalton School in Manhattan where he taught maths and physics.

Epstein amassed his wealth through his obscene list of powerful connections. He became a senior partner at a Wall Street bank through the intervention of his student’s father. Soon, he would put up his own firm and manage the assets of billionaire clients. He frequently rubbed shoulders with former US presidents, including sitting President Donald Trump. He was also involved with royal figures, such as the disgraced Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, who was stripped of his princely title after his acts of sexual abuse with Epstein’s help came to light.

Epstein lived a lavish lifestyle that amounted to a net worth of $560 million at the time of his death. He owned several properties in Manhattan, Palm Beach, New Mexico, and Paris. He also acquired two private Caribbean islands named Great St. James and Little St. James. The latter, spanning 72 acres, is where he allegedly staged most of his heinous and inhumane crimes. As stated in a lawsuit against Epstein, he transported young women and children to the island via helicopter.

The Philippines was mentioned several times in the Epstein Files, mostly referring to the sex offender’s household staff. Jojo and Jun-lyn Fontanilla were reportedly hired by Epstein in the ’90s, and they often took photos with many of Epstein’s famous house guests. The couple published these images on Facebook, showing them beside the likes of Bill Clinton, Hilary Swank, and Prince Andrew. One post showed them posing with Epstein himself with the caption, “With our boss.”

Epstein died by hanging while incarcerated at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York. He was still awaiting trial for his sex trafficking charges. Prior to his death, a prison manager’s memo revealed that he called his mother on the phone despite the fact that she had passed away 15 years ago. At the time, he was also under psychological evaluation after an initial failed attempt days before.