Kit Roberts
Warning: This article contains discussion of sexual harassment which some readers may find distressing
A judge has ordered the release of grand jury transcripts which include harrowing details about the crimes of notorious paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
The newly-released information - that is almost 200 pages long - includes first hand accounts from survivors, as well as details regarding how underage victims were paid off.
Florida Circuit Judge Luis Delgado ordered the documents from the 2008 court proceedings to be made public, warning that the details contained in them 'will be outrageous to decent people.'
Normally, transcripts from grand jury proceedings are never made public. However, a new law recently passed in Florida permitted the release of grand jury transcripts from 2006, allowing Judge Delgado to order the transcripts to be made public.
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Judge Delgado said: "The testimony taken by the Grand Jury concerns activity ranging from grossly unacceptable to rape — all of the conduct at issue is sexually deviant, disgusting, and criminal."
The judge went on to call Epstein 'the most infamous pedophile in American history'.
Epstein's trial was the subject of intense public scrutiny, in particular due to his connections to many famous and influential people around the world.
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These included former US presidents Donald Trump and Bill Clinton, numerous celebrities, and Prince Andrew from the UK.
In 2008, Epstein was able to cut a deal and dodge charges of rape and sex trafficking. He was sentenced to 13 months in jail after pleading guilty to a lesser charge.
While releasing the information, Judge Delgado acknowledged the public outcry around the widely-perceived 'special treatment' received by Epstein.
The judge said there had "been the subject of much anger and has at times diminished the public's perception of the criminal justice system."
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He added: "Epstein is indeed notorious and infamous and is widely reported to have flaunted his wealth while cavorting with politicians, billionaires, and even British Royalty.
"It is understandable that given those reports the public has a great curiosity about what was widely reported by news [agencies] as 'special treatment' regarding his prosecution."
In 2008, Epstein was convicted of soliciting prostitution from a minor.
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He came under renewed public scrutiny in 2018 following a report in the Miami Herald which included interviews with several survivors, some of whom were pursuing civil cases.
New criminal charges were filed against Epstein as a result of the renewed interest in his case.
Epstein's accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell is now serving a 20-year-long sentence in prison.
Epstein himself committed suicide in prison in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex-trafficking charges.
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If you've been affected by any of the issues in this article, you can contact The National Sexual Assault Hotline on 800.656.HOPE (4673), available 24/7. Or you can chat online via online.rainn.org