Jeffrey Epstein's Secret Transcripts From First Prosecutor Who Failed To Press Charges Unsealed
Following an almost four-year legal struggle to secure confidential grand jury records in the Jeffrey Epstein case, 'The Palm Beach Post' now possess once-sealed documents in the high-profile case. Journalists are diligently reviewing them to determine why Epstein, a notorious sexual predator, was not apprehended by the initial prosecutor who contemplated filing charges against him.
'The Post' initiated a lawsuit to release the materials after uncovering in a 2019 investigation that former Palm Beach County State Attorney Barry Krischer sabotaged his own prosecution of Epstein in 2006. According to state attorney documents, Krischer's office did not interview any of the victims and ceased regular communication with the police once Epstein's defense lawyers arrived in the area.
In a highly unusual move, Krischer convened a grand jury, which is secret except in extraordinary circumstances, to consider criminal charges against Epstein. During the proceedings, prosecutors questioned two victims, the grand jury documents show. Sources told 'The Post' prosecutor Lanna Belohlavek questioned a 14-year-old girl. Belohlavek allegedly undermined her own witness by using her MySpace pages, which were supplied by defense attorneys and appeared to depict drinking, drugs and simulated sex.
Yet that 14-year-old girl stood up to a man who hobnobbed with the likes of former Presidents Donald Trump and Bill Clinton.
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In 2006, Epstein faced a grand jury indictment on a single charge: felony solicitation of prostitution, a charge typically associated with soliciting an adult sex worker. This legal decision did not address the broader allegations from law enforcement, who had uncovered multiple cases of sexual abuse involving around two dozen underage girls.
The Palm Beach police believed that Epstein's crimes were more extensive than initially suspected. They had identified five underage victims whose allegations could have led to criminal charges under the prevailing law. Additionally, seventeen witnesses, many of whom were 16 or 17 years old when Epstein abused them, could have corroborated their accounts, which shared striking similarities.
One survivor, who had been victimized by Epstein, publicly demanded the release of documents. Despite police recommendations for severe charges that could have resulted in decades of imprisonment, Epstein ultimately spent only 13 months in jail. During that time, he was allowed to leave the facility six days a week for 12 hours a day on work release.
The outcome of the grand jury proceedings and another prostitution charge to which Epstein pleaded guilty enabled him to continue trafficking, raping, and molesting underage girls for an additional 11 years. According to estimates from one victim's attorney, Epstein abused at least 500 victims during this extended period.
In a 2006 grand jury session, the Palm Beach County assistant state attorney asked a young witness: "Are you aware that you committed a crime?" The girl's response was: "Now I am."
