Watching a documentary about Jeffrey Epstein is like watching a fictional horror movie. On the outside, the villain lives the high life — wealthy, charming and surrounded by beautiful women.
However, if you scrape beneath the surface, our villain holds a dark and disturbing secret — he is convicted sex offender.
In Netflix’s new true-crime documentary Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich, it examines how a wealthy financier got away with some of the most sordid sex crimes of our generation.
Over four parts, the series, which is based on James Patterson’s 2016 book Filthy Rich highlights more than just Epstein’s heinous crimes — it gives voice to the survivors who were not only abused by him but also a web of powerful and influential people.
Stories from survivors fuel this docuseries examining how Epstein used his wealth and power to carry out his abuse.
Epstein’s story made headlines around the world, and while some of what we learn is not new information, the breadth of his crimes are shocking.
Who was Jeffrey Epstein?
Epstein was an American financier who started his professional life as a teacher at the Dalton School and it was here, that he made an important connection with a student’s parent, Alan Greenberg, the CEO of Bear Sterns which he would later work at, before forming his own firm.
In 2008, Epstein was caught and charged with soliciting a minor for prostitution and was handed down an 88-month prison sentence. He would only serve 13.
In 2019, the former-financier was arrested again — this time becoming worldwide news — on federal charges of sex trafficking minors.
While he awaited trial, Epstein was found dead in his cell and while the medical examiner concluded that he had died by suicide, his family began a separate investigation into his death, alleging that he was murdered.
What crimes did he commit?
According to multiple reports from survivors in the documentary, Epstein provided underage girls and young women to his powerful friends — under the guise of a “massage”.
So the young women couldn’t report him, Epstein reportedly recorded the sexual activities on surveillance systems and used it to blackmail them.
How was he arrested?
In 2005, a 14-year-old girl accused Epstein of sexual abuse and while the investigation uncovered dozens of young women and minors who had been sexually assaulted, he was only charged on two counts: soliciting a minor for prostitution and procuring minors for prostitution.
In 2019, he was again arrested under suspicion of sex trafficking minors. He pleaded not guilty and was denied bail.
Where did he operate his crimes?
Epstein had properties in New York, Palm Beach (USA), and the U.S. Virgin Islands and in 1998, he procured a 72-acre island called Little St. James for USD $8 million.
According to several reports, Little St. James was known as “Pedophile Island” where he would operate his sex trafficking activities and pedophilia acts.
Some of the girls were allegedly as young as 12-years-old.
In an article in the New York Times, Epstein was also believed to have bought a ranch in New Mexico where he intended to “seed the human race with his DNA”.
He believed in eugenics — a set of beliefs and practices that aim to improve the genetic quality of a human population — and transhumanism (a philosophical movement that advocates for the transformation of the human condition by developing and making widely available sophisticated technologies to greatly enhance human intellect and physiology) and intended to inseminate 20 women.
Who were Jeffrey Epstein’s famous friends?
Epstein was known to mingle with the most wealthy men around the globe. According to biography.com, he ran in circles with President Bill Clinton, Bill Gates, Kevin Spacey, President Donald Trump and Prince Andrew — who has since been accused of having forced sexual relations multiple times with a teenager, starting in 1999.
Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich available on Netflix from May 27.
WATCH: The official trailer for Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich
If you or someone you know is experiencing sexual or physical violence, please call 1800-RESPECT, a national telephone support line or find more support services HERE.