Prosecutors had evidence alleging billionaire Jeffrey Epstein was a pedophile when they argued he shouldn't register as a dangerous sex offender

• In 2011, the Manhattan District Attorney's office, led by Cyrus Vance, Jr., argued that billionaire Jeffrey Epstein shouldn't be considered a dangerous pedophile.
• They made the argument despite a newly unsealed assessment from the New York state Board of Examiners of Sex Offenders, which recommended Epstein receive the most restrictive sex offender designation.
• Later that year, a judge ultimately gave Epstein the most restrictive sex offender designation, which describes him as a danger to the public. He still has that designation.
• Epstein allegedly sexually assaulted more than 30 women at his home in Florida, many of them underage.
• Visit INSIDER.com for more stories.

The Manhattan District Attorney's office had graphic evidence that billionaire Jeffrey Epstein was a dangerous pedophile even as it argued that he shouldn't have to register as a sex offender, according to records obtained by the New York Post.

In 2011, Epstein — a financier famous for being friends with powerful figures like Presidents Donald Trump and Bill Clinton — has a hearing over the status of his sex offender designation. Epstein registered as a sex offender as part of a settlement from charges alleging he solicited an underage prostitute in Florida.

The Manhattan District Attorney's office, led by Cyrus Vance, Jr., argued that Epstein should have to register as a level one sex offender in Manhattan, the least restrictive designation. Vance, who still holds the position, is also controversial for declining to pursue sexual assault charges against Harvey Weinstein and Dominique Strauss-Kahn, and for declining to prosecute Ivanka Trump and Donald Trump, Jr. with charges related to allegedly fraudulent real estate transactions.

Read more: Women speak out for the first time to detail alleged molestation at the hands of billionaire Jeffrey Epstein

But a confidential assessment from the New York state Board of Examiners of Sex Offenders, kept confidential until now, recommended a level three designation. The level three designation is the most restrictive, and means that the offender poses a danger to the public. The board made that evaluation based on the corroborated accounts of numerous young girls who said Epstein lured them into his Florida home and sexually assaulted them, according to records reviewed by the New York Post.

Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Ruth Pickholz ultimately decided later that year that Epstein should have to register as a level three sex offender, and an appellate board agreed with her assessment following Epstein's appeal. He remains on the sex offender registry with that designation.

Epstein may be at further risk for his alleged sex crimes. In February, a federal judge ruled that his 2007 plea deal with federal prosecutors violated the law. Though more than 30 victims accused him of various sex crimes, prosecutors allowed him to plea guilty to only one charge and spend just 13 months in prison. Prosecutors may now decide if they want to pursue further charges.

A representative for the Manhattan District Attorney's office didn't immediately respond to INSIDER's request for comment.

• Read more:
• Women speak out for the first time to detail alleged molestation at the hands of billionaire Jeffrey Epstein
• Two billionaires with close ties to Trump are embroiled in salacious scandals this week
• Judge rules federal prosecutors — including Trump's former labor secretary — violated the law when they cut a cushy plea deal for billionaire Jeffrey Epstein

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: The 2 Post Credit Scenes in 'Captain Marvel' Explained (SPOILERS)