Prosecutors knew Jeffrey Epstein had raped teens before giving him a sweetheart deal: transcript

A newly released transcript shows prosecutors made a deal with Jeffrey Epstein despite knowing he had raped teenage girls.

• Grand jury transcripts in Jeffrey Epstein's first Florida case were released this week.
• In 2006, prosecutors heard testimony that Epstein raped girls as young as 14, according to the documents.
• Epstein cut a deal for 1-and-a-half years in jail, with near-daily work release.

Grand jury transcripts in Jeffrey Epstein's first Florida investigation were released Monday.

They show prosecutors cut a lenient plea deal with the disgraced financier even after hearing testimony that Epstein had raped girls as young as 14 and paid them to recruit others.

A detective testified before a grand jury in 2006 that the Epstein investigation began the year prior when a woman reported her high school-aged stepdaughter had received $300 for "sexual activity" with a man in Palm Beach, the transcript shows.

The detective testified he interviewed another teenager who brought six friends to Epstein's house, explaining that "the more you did, the more money you made."

A third teen said in the transcript that she visited Epstein's house hundreds of times starting when she was 16 years old. She said she was paid $200 for nude massages and was given $1,000 when Epstein raped her, according to the transcript.

Even though police thought Epstein's crimes were more expansive, The Palm Beach Post reported State Attorney Barry Krischer made the unconventional choice to convene the grand jury behind closed doors and undermined his own case.

Krischer did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

In 2008, Epstein struck a deal with prosecutors, dodging federal charges and pleading guilty to a lesser state charge. He was sentenced to 1-and-a-half years in jail and was allowed to leave six days a week on a work-release program.

The Palm Beach Post sued the government in 2019 to release the grand jury transcripts.

Epstein was ultimately arrested again in 2018 on wider federal sex trafficking charges after media reports drew attention back to the case.

He died by suicide in a New York jail at age 66, according to a Justice Department report that found jail officials botched Epstein's final hours by not monitoring his cell and skipping inmate check-ups.

Epstein's associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, was also arrested and ultimately convicted of helping run the sex trafficking ring.