Welcome to episode fifteen of The Life and Death of Jeff.
In last week’s episode we covered Epstein’s final arrest and his ultimate ambition to create his very own harem. In next week’s episode we’ll be listening to my fascinating, at times shocking audio interview with Jeffrey’s brother. But today, let’s dive into his first days in prison and a sinister incident that you may not have heard about before.
Following his arrest at a New Jersey private airport, 66-year-old Jeffrey was bundled into a van and transported as a pre-trial detainee. His new temporary home would be far removed from that to which he was accustomed; luxurious, well-buffed white yachts and private plane trips were replaced in the blink of an eye by a one-way trip to jail. Past the coffee shops and delis, past the rows of stone-stepped front doors of grey townhouses, and over the Hackensack River. Arriving in Manhattan, escorted by a number of NYPD police cars, sirens blaring, the van rolled to a stop before the thick anchor grey rear doors of the Manhattan Correctional Centre.
Just four days earlier, a jury of the US District Court for the Southern District of New York returned a two-count indictment charging Epstein with sex trafficking. The indictment, based on allegations made by a string of women, claimed that from at least 2002 through to 2005, the billionaire had enticed and recruited young females, some of whom he allegedly knew were underage, to provide him with massages and sexual services in exchange for cash.
The indictment further alleged that, working with employees and associates, he had created a “vast network of underage victims to sexually exploit in New York and Florida”. Rumour and politically-motivated speculation swiftly flooded social media with an ever-growing, but unsubstantiated list of “big names”. Democrats accused Donald Trump. Republicans accused Bill and Hillary Clinton. Anti-monarchists readied the pyre for Prince Andrew. Trump fans picked up their pitchforks to march on Trump critic Tom Hanks. Conspiracy theorists bayed for the blood of Bill Gates. Overnight, innocent politicians, businessmen and celebrities found themselves fiercely hounded by the internet lynch mob.
Continue reading the full transcript below, or listen to the full episode by clicking the video…
