Facing Epstein, accusers urge no bail for financier

NEW YORK — Two women who say they were sexually abused by jet-setting financier Jeffrey Epstein stood just feet from the multimillionaire in a federal courtroom Monday, urging a judge to reject his bid to be released on bail and briefly describing what they said he had done to them.

The women spoke at a hearing before U.S. District Judge Richard Berman, who said he would decide Thursday whether Epstein should remain locked up.

Annie Farmer told the judge that she was 16 when she had the “misfortune” of meeting Epstein in New York, and he flew her to New Mexico.

“He was inappropriate with me,” she said. As she spoke, she choked up and said she preferred not to provide details. Epstein appeared to stare at her during the statement.

Courtney Wild said Epstein abused her in Palm Beach, Fla., starting when she was 14.

“He is a scary person to have walking the street,” she said.

Epstein, 66, was arrested about a week ago and charged federally with sexually abusing dozens of children from 2002 to 2005. His case has riveted the nation, in part because of his wealth and partly because of a controversial plea deal he reached with prosecutors in 2008.

The deal allowed Epstein to spend only about a year in jail, and plead guilty only to state crimes, avoiding federal charges entirely. It was approved by then-U.S. Attorney Alex Acosta, who was later tapped to be President Donald Trump’s labor secretary but resigned Friday.

Epstein has pleaded not guilty to the new charges.

Berman convened Monday’s hearing to help determine whether Epstein should remain jailed before a trial.

Prosecutors portrayed Epstein as an unrepentant sex criminal whose wealth would enable him to flee, and noted that just that morning they had accessed a safe in which he kept piles of cash, dozens of diamonds and a curious, expired passport from the 1980s that had a photo of Epstein’s face but a different name. It listed the owner’s residence as Saudi Arabia, they said.

“The court should have no confidence that the defendant would stick around,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex Rossmiller said.

Emily Michot / TNS Annie Farmer, left, and Courtney Wild, far right, who both say they were molested by Jeffrey Epstein when they were teens, were in federal court Monday.