'Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich': Predator created sexual pyramid scheme for underage girls to recruit their friends
Millionaire financier and pedophile Jeffrey Epstein's predatory behavior began to unravel after his shift to Palm Beach, Florida, in the early 2000s. It was in affluent Palm Beach, known as a secured, private habitat for wealthy millionaires, where Epstein schemed his infamous "sexual pyramid scheme" to prey on high school girls.
Epstein bought a sprawling mansion, only a mile apart from Trump's residence on Billionaire's Row in 2001. His shift to Florida also facilitated his acquaintance with Trump as the financier began to frequent Mar-a-Lago. "Epstein and I were neighbors," author James Patterson said. "He was stunningly rich, and had a 15 to 20 million dollar house in Palm Beach." As the financier began to settle in the neighborhood, he paid a visit to the office of Palm Beach Police Department Chief Michael Reiter. Epstein offered to donate police equipment worth $10,000 at the time. The chief at the time thought Epstein to be just another private, and wealthy inhabitant of Palm Beach. However, his impression of him soon changed.
Nearly two years after Epstein's move to the region, his neighbors began complaining of a large number of young women going in and out of his residence. Reiter found it suspicious and decided to probe the complaints. His detectives talked to some of the women outside the residence; however, they all told him they were adults and were visiting Epstein's home for work. The information did not invoke any police interest at the time.
However, in 2005, a 14-year-old girl's parent called the police department to report a complaint about a "gentleman" residing in Palm Beach. The stepmother of the teen had found $300 on the girl's person, and after pressing, the 14-year-old revealed that she had gone to a "gentleman's house" and given him a massage for the money. The teen agreed to go on record and told the detectives that the man often called girls like her to give him massages, and if he finds them pretty "he keeps them around for other things." From the description of the house provided by the juvenile, it became clear to the detectives that she was referring to Jeffrey Epstein. The department initiated an investigation.
A special investigation unit was formulated to probe the case and the lead detective, Joe Recary, believed that there were other victims too. The case began unfolding. Recary began interviewing multiple victims, and all of them had the same story to tell: they gave him a massage, in some cases, he pleased himself as he asked the girls to take off their clothes. He had sexual intercourse with some. All of the victims were teenagers.
Michelle Licata
Michelle Licata, a 16-year-old school student, also gave a statement against Epstein. Licata met Epstein in December 2004 after a friend of hers in school told her that there was a way she could make money for Christmas. "I was a good kid," Licata said. "I thought my life was just ordinary. I had 7 kids in my family. I was really good in school, had a lot of friends. I was just a normal teenage girl." However, her life changed when she met Epstein. Licata's friend told her that she could make $200 massaging an old guy. Licata found the idea weird but agreed. As they pulled in front of a big mansion, her friend told her: "Okay, if anybody asks, you're over the age of 18."
Licata waited for a minute or two in the massage room when Epstein walked in and laid down on his stomach. After a while, he flipped over and began remarking on her appearance. "He was telling me how beautiful I was," Licata said, adding that she had never thought of herself as the pretty girl in school. She had braces. "For somebody to pointing the spotlight at me, I never thought of myself that way." It was then when he asked her to take off her clothes. Licata, afraid, thought of leaving but there was no way she could leave from there. "As a young girl when an adult asks your to do something, you do," she said. "He grabbed my thigh and jacked himself off at the same time. He just looked like a scary sicko." The teen felt dirty after it was over. Licata broke into tears, saying: "Before Epstein I was something else."
Many of the girls were brought to Epstein from across West Palm Beach, a working class area where people faced real personal struggles. Many had money troubles and broken homes. It was a perfect hunting ground for the financier.
Shawna Rivera
Shawna Rivera was 14-year-old when she met Epstein. "I didn't have a good childhood, I was a runaway for two years," Rivera said. "My mom used drugs, my dad went to prison when I was three." She ran away and was living in shelter homes when a friend of hers convinced her to go to Epstein's house to earn some money. Rivera remembered Epstein being rude as he greeted her. It was then when her friend told her: "We're going to give him a massage, we have to take our clothes off." The teen was baffled at the idea of them taking their clothes off too. When she did, her friend stepped out of the room and she was alone with Epstein. As she was massaging him, the financier asked her to rub his nipples hard. "I freaked out," she said. After he was finished, he left a $200 note for her. Rivera decided to never come back to the place.
Days went by when one day she received a call from Epstein's place. They got her in a cab and took her to his house. There was no explanation given why she was needed there, but Rivera went because she was in dire need of money. The abuse went on for nearly three to four years. "I could not say 'this isn't right, this is a sick man," she later revealed.
As authorities began recording the accounts of the victims, they faced another hurdle: None of them wanted to prosecute for fear of Epstein. They were all afraid of what his power and wealth could do. The detectives decided to talk to a few of his former employees at the mansion, and rummaged through his garbage. They found a school report card of a girl. The schools in Palm Beach were Epstein's main hunting ground.
Haley Robinson
Another survivor, Haley Robinson, was 16 when she met Epstein. She was already a victim of sexual assault when she visited Epstein's mansion. A few months ago she had been raped by a 21-year-old man. Robinson was still reeling from the trauma and had began using drugs and alcohol. She needed money to get out of the town, and when she heard of Epstein, she thought he was the answer. When she began massaging Epstein, he turned over a started using a vibrator on her. She vehemently refused, and that is when he told her that if she had any other friends, she could bring them to him and he would give her $200 each time. Robinson worked for him for nearly a year and recruited at least 24 girls for him, who in turn recruited others, making a depraved pryamid scheme. All of the girls were underage.
Detectives, on October 20, 2005, finally executed a search warrant at Epstein's place, but most of the key evidence was gone. All the computers and hard drives had been wiped clean. Someone had tipped him off about the investigation.
Netflix's 'Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich' premiered May 27.