EFTA00158738.pdf

J8RsEPS1 1 UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK 2 3 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, 4 v. 19 CR 490 (RMB) 5 JEFFREY EPSTEIN, 6 Defendant. 7 8 New York, N.Y. August 27, 2019 9 10:30 a.m. 10 Before: 11 HON. RICHARD M. BERMAN, 12 District Judge 13 14 APPEARANCES 15 GEOFFREY S. BERMAN United States Attorney for the 16 Southern District of New York BY: 17 Assistant United States Attorneys 18 MARTIN G. WEINBERG, PC 19 Attorney for Defendant BY: MARTIN G. WEINBERG 20 STEPTOE & JOHNSON, LLP 21 Attorneys for Defendant BY: REID WEINGARTEN 22 MICHAEL MILLER 23 24 25 SOUTHERN DISTRICT REPORTERS, P.C. (212) 805-0300 3514.005 Page I of 3 SUBJECT TO PROTECTIVE ORDER PARAGRAPHS 7, 8, 9, 10, 15, and 17 EFTA_0000765I EFTA00158738  J8RPEPS2 1 speaking this morning is 2 Good morning, your Honor. 3 THE COURT: Good morning. 4 5 I had the opportunity to speak at Jeffrey Epstein's 6 bail hearing, and I really appreciate that you heard me and 7 listened to me that day. I am so sorry that others will not 8 have the opportunity to stand before him the way that I did. 9 But I'm here today to speak on behalf of my sister, 10 who could not be here. 11 Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell not only assaulted 12 her, but as we're hearing from so many of these brave women 13 here today, they stole her dreams and her livelihood. She 14 risked her safety in 1996, so many years ago, to report them, 15 to no avail, and it is heartbreaking to her and to me that all 16 this destruction has been wrought since that time. 17 We were deeply disappointed and disturbed by Epstein's 18 death and the fact that that was allowed to happen while he was 19 in the government's custody, and I'm encouraged to hear that 20 there will be a full investigation as to how that was allowed 21 to happen. 22 But it is extremely important, as others are saying, 23 that he did not act alone and that the other people that were a 24 part of what he did are held accountable and that that 25 investigation continues. SOUTHERN DISTRICT REPORTERS, P.C. (212) 805-0300 3514-005 Page 2 of 3 SUBJECT TO PROTECTIVE ORDER PARAGRAPHS 7, 8, 9, 10, 15, and 17 EFTA_00007652 EFTA00158739  59 J8RPEPS2 1 I believe that we have a real problem in this country 2 with perpetrators of sexual abuse and sexual assault being hel 3 accountable. There are so many roadblocks to victims being 4 heard, to cases being investigated thoroughly, and then to 5 those cases being prosecuted. And so I think this is a really 6 important signal to send a message to victims out there that 7 people will take you seriously, people will follow through, and 8 that even those in power, as we have unfortunately seen, that 9 has not been often are able to escape that, that even those in 10 power will be held accountable. Thank you. 11 THE COURT: Thanks so much. 12 Our next client, who's going to addres 13 the Court is She says it much more 14 beautifully than I do; so I'll let her say it. 15 My first name is spelled, 16 last name is 17 My name is and I am a victim of 18 Jeffrey Epstein and the sophisticated sex trafficking operation 19 he ran, where he allegedly was to be a financier. 20 I was. and previously modeled and was living in the 21 I met a young woman named through a mutual 22 friend. We were friends for a few months. She was an amazing 23 artist and liked to party. One day she called me and asked if 24 I was interested in meeting a friend of hers. She told me he 25 wanted to meet me and really liked blonds, and I thought he was SOUTHERN DISTRICT REPORTERS, P.C. (212) 805-0300 3514-005 Page 3 of 3 SUBJECT TO PROTECTIVE ORDER PARAGRAPHS 7, 8, 9, 10, 15, and 17 EFTA_00007653 EFTA00158740