A federal judge has reportedly ordered that theidentities of more than 150 peopleconnected to Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell be publicly disclosed early next year. The people whose names are to be disclosed includesex abuse victims, litigation witnesses, Epstein’s employees, and people with just a passing connection to the scandal. All of these people can appeal the order, signed by Judge Loretta A. Preska, by January 1, 2024. The names were mentioned in Epstein’s lawsuit.
In the past, several other records related to the lawsuit were publicly revealed. Collin Rugg, the co-owner of the media outlet Trending Politics, also mentioned in a post on X that three names will remainsealed out of the 150 names.
“The three names that will remain sealed were “classic outsiders peripheral to the events at issue” and weren’t associated with Epstein. One of the three sealed names was wrongly identified in a photo,” Rugg wrote.
Preska has said that some portions of the records will be kept confidential, like those that name people who were sexually assaulted by Epstein when they were minors, and had wanted to maintain their privacy, according to NBC News.
One of the major names associated with Epstein is Prince Andrew of Britain, who was allegedly one of Epstein’s co-conspirators. However, he has maintained his innocence and claimed he knew nothing about Epstein’s criminal activities.
Epstein allegedly sexually assaulted multiple teenage girls. Some of his victims were as young as 14 years old, prosecutors have said. He committed the crimes at his homes in Manhattan; Palm Beach, Florida; and his private island near St. Thomas.
In 2019, federal prosecutors charged him with one count of sex trafficking conspiracy and one count of sex trafficking with underage females. Epstein died by suicide in his Manhattan jail cell about a month after being arrested, and the charges against him were thus dropped.
His partner Maxwell, who was also involved in the crimes, is now serving a 20-year prison sentence after being convicted in December 2021. She was accused of helping Epstein recruit and sexually abuse minor girls.
Sophie Anderson, a UK-based writer, is your guide to the latest trends, viral sensations, and internet phenomena. With a finger on the pulse of digital culture, she explores what’s trending across social media and pop culture, keeping readers in the know about the latest online sensations.