Epstein victims sue government over allegedly enabling late billionaire's sex trafficking

A group of anonymous victims of Jeffrey Epstein sued the government Wednesday, alleging that the FBI ignored credible tips about his activities and declined to pursue evidence of crimes in the bureau's possession.

The plaintiffs claim the FBI received tips as early as 1996, but did not open a probe until 2006 that ended with Epstein receiving an 18 month prison sentence for soliciting prostitution. They further claim the FBI ignored tips until his 2019 arrest, The Hill reported.

"[C]ontrary to its own established rules, the FBI failed to take appropriate action and botched and covered up investigations for years," they claimed. "As a direct and proximate cause of the FBI’s negligence, plaintiffs would not have been continued to be sex trafficked, abused, raped, tortured and threatened."

"During the FBI investigation, the FBI was complicit in permitting Epstein and co-conspirators to continue to victimize Jane Does 1-12 and other young women. The FBI had photographs, videos and interviews and hard evidence of child prostitution and failed to timely investigate and arrest Epstein in deviation from the FBI protocols," the 12 victims further alleged.

The victims are seeking damages to be determined at trial.

Epstein killed himself in prison following his arrest. The circumstances of his death remain hotly debated in the public and are the subject of myriad conspiracy theories.

The suit follows an unrelated court decision to release documents from Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre's civil suit of Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein's former associate. The materials were released this year and included testimony from Palm Beach Detective Joseph Recarey, who described Epstein's recruitment process for his operations in considerable detail.

Recarey described something of a ponzi scheme in which young women, most of them underage, would be recruited and subsequently recruit others to perform massages for Epstein. Said massages often saw Epstein pursue physical contact of various natures.

"Epstein would either attempt to fondle the girls or touch the girls inappropriately, and at which point he would masturbate. And when he was done, he would get up and go wash off while the girls would get dressed and go back downstairs and get paid," he said. "Once they were recruited, they were brought to the home. They were to provide a massage. Some of the victims did not want to be touched; some of the victims did not want to partake in that. So it was -- I believe for -- for a couple of them it was only a one-shot deal, but others continued to come."

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter.