Here's How Convicted Sex Offender Jeffrey Epstein Got Caught

Convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein was arrested twice: once in 2008 and again in 2019. His first arrest was for state charges of solicitation of prostitution and solicitation of prostitution with a minor, and his second arrest was for sex trafficking of minors and conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of minors.

As the House Oversight Committee is slowly releasing more and more of the photos, emails, and documents from Epstein's estate, some are wondering how Epstein got caught in the first place.

In the early 2000s, Epstein would invite underage girls to his home and pay them to give him a massage. During the massage, he would escalate his requests for physical contact and then ask for sexual acts. He would ask the girls to recruit other victims for him and sometimes pay victims to bring other young girls to his mansion for "massages."

In 2005, a Florida 14-year-old's parents opened a case against Epstein, saying that he paid their daughter for a massage, per NPR. Officials gathered more information from underage girls who said that Epstein sexually abused them at his mansion, beginning as early as 2002.

The testimony provided by victims and the clear pattern of abuse they described helped get Epstein convicted. After arresting Epstein, officials found images and videos of victims who appeared to be minors as well as images of "illegal child sexual abuse material" in his home, according to NPR. They also found financial records that echoed the victim accounts of abuse and payment.

Officials also found physical evidence like massage tables, a locked safe with CDs labeled "girl pics nude," and a receipt for books on sexual slavery that was delivered to Epstein's Florida home.

In 2008, Epstein reached a plea deal with Alex Acosta, the U.S. attorney in Miami at the time, so that Epstein pleaded guilty to charges of prostitution but avoided the more serious federal charges relating to molesting young girls.

In 2018, The Miami Herald published interviews with victims and the details of the 2008 plea deal, which a federal judge ruled was illegally concealed from Epstein's victims.

The renewed interest in the case, victim interviews, and new victims coming forward helped bring charges of sex trafficking of minors against Epstein in 2019.

After both arrests, officials acquired evidence from Epstein's properties.

The House Oversight Committee is slowly releasing photos, documents, and emails detailing Epstein's sex trafficking. Released photos and flight logs to Epstein's Island have connected high-profile individuals like Donald Trump, Bill Clinton, and Noam Chomsky to Epstein.