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U.S. NEWS Thursday 11 July 2019

Woman says Jeffrey Epstein raped her when she was 15

By JIM MUSTIAN and JEN- resents Araoz with Kaiser. to stop,” she said. “He had
NIFER PELTZ Araoz’s father died when no intentions of stopping,”
Associated Press she was 12. she said. “He knew exactly
NEW YORK (AP) — A new U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Ber- what he was doing.”
accuser of Jeffrey Epstein man said Monday that Araoz said she was “terri-
said Wednesday that the many of Epstein’s alleged fied” after the assault and
wealthy financier raped victims “were particularly never returned to Epstein’s
her in his New York mansion vulnerable to exploitation,” home. She even left her
when she was 15. for reasons he declined to high school because it was
Jennifer Araoz filed court detail. He and other law so close to his mansion.
papers seeking information enforcement officials re- Epstein’s staff continued
from Epstein in preparation peatedly urged other po- trying to contact her for
for suing him, and she aired tential victims and people about a year, Araoz said,
her allegations on NBC’s with information about Ep- but she didn’t respond.
“Today” show , though she stein to come forward. A once-secret agreement
said she hadn’t discussed Araoz, in her court filing allowed Epstein to avoid a
them with authorities. and TV interview, said her potentially lengthy prison
The 32-year-old makeup first contact with Epstein sentence nearly a decade
artist told “Today” she nev- came in 2001, when she ago in a case involving
er went to police because was a 14-year-old high nearly identical allegations In this July 30, 2008 file photo, Jeffrey Epstein, center, appears
she feared retribution from school freshman at a per- of sexually abusing under- in court in West Palm Beach, Fla.
the well-connected Ep- forming arts high school, age girls. Associated Press
stein, who is now facing aspiring to become an Epstein pleaded guilty to say. They argue the new deal does not apply to
federal charges of abusing actress. She said she was lesser state charges and federal charges should be them. They said the new
dozens of underage girls in approached outside her spent 13 months in jail. That dismissed. charges overlap with the
New York and Florida in the school by a woman who plea deal was supposed to They were brought by fed- earlier case but include
early 2000s. He has plead- told her that Epstein was a protect Epstein from feder- eral prosecutors in New new allegations and vic-
ed not guilty. caring person who would al prosecution, his lawyers York, who say the Florida tims from New York.q
“What hurts me even more help her with her career.
so is that if I wasn’t afraid to Araoz found Epstein wel-
come forward sooner, then coming, showing her his
maybe he wouldn’t have mansion filled with exotic
done it to other girls,” Araoz taxidermy and elaborately
said. “I feel really guilty to painted ceilings, while his
this day.” staff offered her wine and
Messages were left with Ep- cheese, she said.
stein’s attorneys and New After a few weeks of visits,
York police seeking com- each ending with a $300
ment on Araoz’s claims. payment, she said she was
The U.S. Attorney’s Office escorted to a “massage
in Manhattan declined to room,” with a ceiling paint-
comment on them. ed to resemble angels in
One of Araoz’ attorneys, a blue sky. There, she said,
Daniel Kaiser, declined to she would give him mas-
comment Wednesday af- sages that would often
ternoon on whether he’d lead to sex acts.
heard from authorities after “I take care of you, you
Araoz went public with her take care of me,” Epstein
accusation. told her, according to her
It came two days after Ep- court papers.
stein, a 66-year-old Wall She said Epstein had a
Street master of high fi- painting of a naked wom-
nance with friends in very an that he said resembled
high places , pleaded not her; she also recalled pros-
guilty to sex-trafficking and thetic breasts he would
conspiracy charges. The play with while bathing.
indictment could land him “It was very odd,” she said
behind bars for up to 45 on “Today.”
years if he is convicted. The visits continued once
Epstein has not been or twice a week until she
charged with assaulting turned 15, when she said
Araoz. But her account Epstein told her to remove
contradicts his defense at- her underwear and climb
torneys’ contention that on top of him.
Epstein never used vio- She said she told him she
lence or coerced anyone didn’t want to but that he
who gave him massages. forcibly had sex with her
“She was a child — a child anyway.
on welfare, with no father, “I don’t want to say I was
who was groomed, recruit- screaming, or anything of
ed and preyed upon,” said that nature. But I was terri-
Kimberly Lerner, who rep- fied. And I was telling him Opening Hours: Monday to Monday from 5:00 pm to 10:30 pm