Women urge Epstein be kept in jail
Two who say they were sexually abused by the financier want him to stay behind bars until trial.
NEW YORK — Two of Jeffrey Epstein accusers urged a judge Monday to keep the wealthy financier behind bars until he goes on trial on federal charges that he sexually abused underage girls.
The women stood just feet from where Epstein was seated in his blue jail outfit as they asked a federal judge to reject a request by Epstein’s lawyers that he remain under house arrest in his $77 million Manhattan mansion until trial on conspiracy and sex trafficking charges.
Courtney Wild, an unnamed victim in the 2008 lawsuit against the Department of Justice for the secret plea deal that allowed Epstein to avoid similar charges, spoke for the first time in court with a fellow accuser.
Wild said she was sexually abused by Epstein in Palm Beach, Florida, when she was 14. “He’s a scary person to have walking the streets,” she said.
Annie Farmer said she was 16 when she met Epstein in New York.
“He was inappropriate with me,” she said. She did not elaborate.
The Associated Press doesn’t name alleged victims of sexual abuse without their consent. Through their lawyers, Farmer and Wild said they were willing to be publicly identified.
Judge Richard Berman said he’ll rule Thursday whether Epstein can be freed on bail, but he noted at the outset of a two-hour hearing there was a presumption in sex trafficking cases involving juveniles that the defendant will remain locked up.
He also rescinded his decision last week to let Epstein reveal his finances under seal, criticizing a onepage “asset summary” in which Epstein claimed $559 million in assets.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex Rossmiller said the government’s case is “getting stronger every single day” since Epstein was arrested July 6.