Epstein Unsealed

Ron DeSantis rolled out more than 140 new pieces of legislation allowing the release of 2006 grand jury testimony from Jeffrey Epstein victims

"The American people have a right to know the full extent of Jeffrey Epstein's activities and the involvement of any public figures. Transparency and accountability are essential in restoring trust in our institutions. By releasing these files, we aim to shed light on a dark chapter and ensure justice is served." — Ron DeSantis

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Effective July 1 2024, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis rolled out more than 140 new pieces of legislation, and the hardest hitting decision may have been an amendment allowing the release of 2006 grand jury testimony from Jeffrey Epstein victims.

The document begins with a statement from Circuit Judge Luis Delgado, explaining the process required to reach this decision, acknowledging the influence of the Palm Beach Post, and declaring that they will not allow identification of the grand jury or the state attorney.

His Honor goes on to refer to Epstein’s impact on current culture with, “the most infamous pedophile in American history” and warning readers “the details in this record will be outrageous to decent people.”

“The Court finds that the request involves a matter of public interest. The criminal prosecutions of the most infamous pedophile in American history began in Palm Beach County - with much controversy. For almost 20 years, the story of how Jeffrey Epstein victimized some of Palm Beach County’s most vulnerable has been the subject of much anger and has at times diminished the public’s perception of the criminal justice system.   “Adding to the public interest, Epstein is indeed notorious and infamous and is widely reported to have flaunted his wealth while cavorting with politicians, billionaires, and even British Royalty. It is understandable that given those reports the public has a great curiosity about what was widely reported by news agency as ‘special treatment’ regarding his prosecution. This matter is clearly the subject of public interest.”

For those who have been following the Epstein case, we have an understanding that Epstein was able to procure his demented sexual fantasies by forming a small network of high school girls and creating a referral program. $200 for massages, $200 each time you bring a friend, $300 if you watch him jerk off.

What started out as a small circle of curious and misguided teen girls, grew into a harem of Epstein regulars. Groomed on campus sidewalks by Epstein’s more mature female companions, eventually stories from the mansion began to spread amongst the students and a fight broke out at school. The fight was between two girls, one an Epstein victim, the other was not. After the fight, the victim (let’s call her Shannon) was asked to hand her purse over to her principal and explain why she, a 14 year old girl, had $300 cash in her purse.

14 year old Shannon said it was from her part time job.

Her parents didn’t believe her.

14 year old Shannon told them she had been selling drugs.

The principal had heard something different.

Two years after the fight at the high school, Shannon testified at 16 years old. She explained to the judge, grand jury, and attorneys how she came to find herself at Jeffrey’s house. That a friend had mentioned massaging a rich guy with a waterfront mansion, and all she had to do was lie about her age when she arrived.

Shannon told the jury that when she arrived at Jeffrey's estate, she was wearing “a regular T-shirt, my Hollister shirt, and just some jeans.” Hollister, an early millennium popular clothing brand that we now know was completely intertwined with Epstein’s inner circle. It’s ironic to have been documented in 2006, as it nods to the brands that are crumbling today due to their proximity to Epstein and Les Wexner. (Victoria’s Secret, Abercrombie and Fitch)

Outdated Tactics

What struck me the most wasn’t details of the teenage girls arriving at Jeffrey's home at 358 El Brillo Way, passing security, and wandering through his mansion. I had already known about the massage tables, the oils, the weird framed art work. We knew about vibrators and threesomes and confiscated computers. But what we didn’t know was how brutal the state attorney and jury would be during their line of questioning.

In a grand jury, all proceedings are closed to the public and jurors are allowed to ask victims direct questions. These conversations from 2006 show the sign of the times, with adults asking teenagers if they are aware that they are ruining their reputations, referring to their outfit choices, and at times plainly telling the victims that they need to make better choices.

It is peculiar that these girls seemingly agreed, quite plainly, to follow their friends to a strangers house in exchange for money. It reminded me of the movie Thirteen and the movie Kids. The culture of the early 2000’s where Britney was a Slave 4 U and Willa Ford wanted to be bad with ya baby. The girls who were 9 years old in 1998, sitting at their grandparents dining room table, heard their President draw a fine line in the sand with, “I did not have sexual relations with that woman.” They were young when they had to ask about the definition of “oral” and in 2006 were now late teenagers who understood the currency of allure.

In 2006, Charlie Sheen was in his 3rd season of Two and a Half Men, and the idea of a rich, cool, single, guy who was a little sketchy but incredibly intriguing wasn’t too difficult to comprehend.

To question these girls on their character without consideration of their popular culture influence was judgmental, humiliating, and ultimately effective in keeping these crimes covered up for so long.

“Furthermore, the State Attorney was properly noticed and long ago withdrew any objections to release the records and early on even did his best to disclose the information in his office’s possession without delay via an internet portal. As a result, he was eventually dropped as a named party in this action after much inconvenience and expense.”

MYSPACE TESTIMONY

A: …After she took my purse and she looked at the $300, and she - she didn’t believe what I said, like, at all. And I just kept lying, and like, saying, no. I got it from [REDACTED]. My work, my work. And then she said, you don’t have to lie. I know - I know what happened. And she called my stepmom. And my stepmom came to the school. And my stepmom said, like, you didn’t get $300 from your paycheck. You’re lying. And that’s when - That’s when, like, I don’t know, everything kind of came out.

Q: You didn’t tell your parents at first so did you lie to them too?

A: I said I was doing drugs, and I was dealing them. Like, I made up any kind of lie. I didn’t want to tell them what happened.

Q: You talked about telling your mom you were doing drugs - or selling drugs?

A: Yeah. I just -

Q: Which one?

A: My - just - both. I just kind of - my dad’s arguing with me, and I just kind of told em, well, I’m a drug dealer.

Q: Okay. So you - you’ve had problems with drugs though, haven’t you?

A: I did. Not a problem, I experimented.

Q: Didn’t your parents actually send you away to a rehabilitation center because of it?

A: To a family help center.

Q: Okay

A: To be specific or whatever. It was because of that, but it was also because I had a lot of family, like, getting-along problems. Like, I argued with my parents a lot.

Q: Were you doing drugs during the time that you went to Jeffrey Epstein’s house?

A: Um, no. Well, the only- the only drug that I did that time was pot. Like, I smoked it sometimes. I didn’t do, like drug drugs, like bad kind of drugs.

Q: Do you still do pot?

A: No

Q: Do you have a MySpace account?

A: Yes. I have a MySpace.

Q: On there you talk about doing drugs?

A: No, I don’t talk about it. There’s like a little thing where it says create like your own thingy. And it asks questions like a- a survey; that’s the word I’m looking for; a survey about — like, they just ask questions. And it says have you ever done drugs? And I said, yeah. 

Q: Okay. It asks a lot of questions about you, right?

A: Yes. But I also did delete that MySpace and I did a good one. I-

Q: Okay.

A: I delete- cause my parents found out.

Q: So you. Had one that wasn’t real good?

A: Yes.

Q: That you’d like about your age on, said you were 18 on?

A: No. I didn’t say I was 18.

Q: This your account?

A: No.

Q: Here with [REDACTED]? Female, 18 years old. Lives in [REDACTED]?

A: Yes, but I didn’t do this one. All mines have, like, cool things in the back. Like, mine - I would never make an ugly one.

Q: referring to a quote on her MySpace Page[REDACTED] do have more fun.

A: Yeah.

Q: You’re a [REDACTED]?

A: Yeah. But - I have that ex- like, those exact same things on my old one. It had like, not in - what it says about me, in that little sentence -

Q: Okay.

A: - that’s not - I didn’t make that.

Q: So when you’re talking about that survey you answered, it says your - your choice of alcohol. And you put beer?

A: Yeah.

Q: Do you drink beer?

A: At parties.

Q: Okay. It says you have four piercings?

A: Not anymore. Now I only- well, I used to have my belly button pierced.

Q: It takes- You have to be 18 in the state of Florida to have body piercings other than your ears. How-

A: My dad -

Q: How did you get those?

A: My dad took me to get my belly button pierced for my 14th birthday. Cause, like, everybody was getting one, so I begged for it. And then I just got my nose pierced, so.

Q: Did you have to provide identification for your nose, to prove you were 18?

A: No, my dad- My dad let me.

Q: Your dad, okay. So you didn’t have false identification at that time?A: No.

Q: Okay. So you said yes to drinking and smoking? Smoking pot?

A: Yeah.

Q: There’s a question, [ON MYSPACE] do you shoplift? Do you recall what you put for that?

A: I did.

Q: What- you did shoplift?

A: Like, yeah, a couple times.

Q: Did you recall putting, “lots of times”, on your site?

A: Maybe. This was a long time ago, so.

Q: Okay. You reported income of $250,000 -

A: As a joke.

Q: —On that site?

A: Yeah. It’s a joke. Like, all my friends do that, cause its kind of funny and random and stupid.

Q: Okay. So it’s not that you’re making money elsewhere-

A: No. It-

Q: -doing a similar activity?

A: -was just kind of stupid. It’s like a joke.

Q: Okay. Did you ever make arrangements with [REDACTED] to go back to Jeffrey Epstein’s house in April of 2005?

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The following conversation was between a juror (J) and a victim (A):

J: Do you have any idea deep down inside of you that you- What you’re doing is wrong?

A: Yeah.  I did.

J: Have you set goals of to not do it anymore?”

A: Yes. I don’t - haven’t talked to any of those people since that day.

J: And you’re well aware that- What you’re doing to your own reputation?A: Yes. I do.

J: You aware that you committed a crime?

A: Now I am. I didn’t know it was a crime when I was doing it. Like, I - I don’t know. Now I - I guess its prostitution or something like that.

J: Did it ever occur to you that he could have hacked you up?

A: I - now I think about it. And a lot of things could have happened. I thought about it a lot. And a lot-

J: Should give it a little further thought.

A second victim of Jeffrey testified. We will refer to her as Ashley.

Ashley was subpoenaed just two days before court. She suffered a great deal of abuse from Jefferey Epstein and  did not want to speak out. Here is the transcript between her and the jury:

J: You did  not want to have intercourse with him?

A: No.

J: Did you ask him to stop?

A: No.

J: And why?

A: I’m not really sure.

J: Do you think he took advantage of your youth?

Q: Maybe. But it was also stupid of me to put myself in that situation.

J: Perhaps you were too young to be up against a man of that age who had more control over you and that you knew.

A: Yes.

J: Did he take away from your person, your being, your spirit?

A: Yes.

J: And would you testify against him for what he has done and the wrong he has done?

A: No. Because I would like to put it behind me for the most part. I was successful until about 2 days ago.

J: So the reason that you don’t want to testify is more just because of personal embarrassment?

A: Yes.

J: If you had a daughter, would you want her to testify or tell you?

A: I don’t really know.

J: Would it mean anything special to you that you could be the person that’s strong enough to stand up to put him away so he will never ever do this to somebody else? Could you be strong enough to do that or want to do that?

A: I wish I could say that I could, but I really don’t think that I can.

STATE ATTORNEY: Any other questions?

J: Yeah - The pursuit, this idea about testifying, would you do it - I mean, would you testify if you were subpoenaed, and would you tell the truth?

A: If I did not have a choice or not to testify, obviously I would have to. Yes, I would tell the truth, because if I’m going to have to do it, I might as well do it right.

J: I think for your own character - for your own well being

STATE ATTORNEY: You have to ask questions, not comment.

J: Okay. To testify would be the right thing to do and the legal thing to do.

STATE ATTORNEY: We need a question

J: Would you do it under those circumstances?

A: Like I said, if that was between testifying and going to jail, I would testify. Which is why I’m here today.

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In the final piece of conversation, we receive testimony from Jensen Ross. She is the Chief Investigator with the State Attorney’s Office in Palm Beach County. Ms Ross is asked to provide information about two victims (Referring to one as Brittany, the other as Jennifer). The judge is curious about Brittany’s history of running away from home, and being caught at school under the influence of Xanax. The conversation wraps up with Ms Ross sharing excerpts from Brittany’s MySpace blog, and Jennifer’s.

State Attorney (S) Chief Investigator Jensen Ross (J)

S: Okay. i want to take you back to [REDACTED]. [Brittany] was testifying about some drug use. Isn’t, in fact, there a police report regarding drinking and drug use by [Brittany]?

J: There’s a police incident report from [REDACTED] Sheriff Department in [REDACTED].

S: Okay. And in that case there was some boys drinking, but it never indicated she was drinking?

J: I believe so. Yes, ma’am. She was caught with the boys and they were drinking. 

S: Did [Brittany] disappear from her home that caused concern to her mother?

J: Yes. Your- her mother reported her as missing to the police.

S: And was- where did her mother think she was?

J: She was in a known drug area, she believed.

S: When they finally located her, i guess a day after she took off - Did she indicate that she had been drinking and doing drugs the night before. And she got scared and called her parents.

J: Yes ma’am.

S: On March 31 2006, was there a police report regarding [Brittany]?

J: Yes ma’am. She was reported missing on that date also.

S: Okay. But it was her father who reported her missing?

J: That’s correct.

S: Did you say how long she had been gone? Out the night before and then came home at 5:30 -

J: I believe that’s what it was.

S: And how did she and her sister come home in the morning to get into the house?

J: They had returned and were inside the residence when the police arrived. And they were packing their clothes, and they were going to move out of the residence.

S: Okay. Were observations made as to their- she and her sister’s physical demeanor at the timeE?

J: There was indications that they had been doing alcohol and drugs. And I believe the father had also reported that when they were dropped off that he believed the person that dropped em off was a young drug dealer from the area.

S: And they were taken to school and were they - did they have to come pick [Brittany] up from school?

J: Yes. They were taken back to school. And then they received a police call from the school security, the policeman that’s assigned to the school, and asked that they come retrieve their - her, because she appeared to be intoxicated at that time.

S: And there was actually a witness that testified about [Brittany] taking two and a half Xanax bars?

J: I believe, yes, that’s what it was. On the 1st of March.

S: And Xanax is a controlled substance?

J: Yes ma’am.

S: And would it be a felony to possess that?

J: Yes ma’am.

S: Okay. You’ve reviewed [Brittany’s] MySpace.com

J: Yes.

S: Does she misrepresent her age on there?

J: I believe there were four different occasions. On March the 5th she reported her age as 18. On the same date in another entry, she reported her age as 17. On March 28th of 2006 she reports her age as being 16. And then again on April the 5th she reports her age as being 15.

S: And on there does she also talk about doing drugs and drinking alcohol?

J: Yes ma’am she does.

S: What about shoplifting? Does she report she’s ever shoplifted?

J: She admits to that. Lots of shoplifting. That’s - specific.

S: And does her website also include pictures of her in skimpy attire, drinking alcohol, and sexually provocative photos?

J: Yes ma’am.

The conversations turns to address the MySpace content of another victim, Jennifer.

S: Okay, what about theft allegations, has she admitted to stealing also?

J: She was employed by [REDACTED]. And in November 2006 she was accused by her employer, and she admitted to it.

S: She also had a MySpace.com website?

J: Yes ma’am.

S: On there does she go through and write about a falsification of records and lies to people that she has done?

J: Yes. That is included in some of the documents that I reviewed.

S: Exhibit C, could you read what she wrote on August 5, 2005?

J: Hey. Wow, not living with my parents anymore is the shit. For all of you who are not aware, I moved to [REDACTED]. So far everything is doing well. Well - [REDACTED] and I am getting along, not like everyone predicted. Oh when you live together, all that time together will be horrible. And that’s in quotations. The complete opposite of the matter of fact.

I went job hunting the second day that we were here, but all I did was get applicatiohns. The day after that I was like, fucking - fuck this, and I didn’t return - turn them it. I just got so tired. Yesterday is when I took them.

I ended up getting a job at [REDACTED]. I only get paid $6.40 an hour but hopefully that will change soon. I also get a discount at all the [REDACTED], [REDACTED], [REDACTED], and [REDACTED].

I like my boss so far. I mean, he only met me twice, but she’s real cool.

[REDACTED] is trying to get a job at an [REDACTED]. He likes music, so I think he’s going - it’s going to fit for him - a good fit for him. I really hope he gets it. The boss guys called him back to set up an interview the day he came inwith the application, I think that’s a good sign. It starts at 4pm.

He’s at the mall right now. I got to call him and ask him how it went in the - in a little while. It’s only 3:45 right now.

Oh, it was so funny. I used him as one of my references for my [REDACTED], and the lady called me back and told me that [REDACTED] gave me such an outstanding reference that she did not need to call anyone else back. He got me the job like that. He made me sound so fucking good - so fucking great.

I lied and said that he was the old store manager for [REDACTED]. She bought it.

No complaints from me. Okay, well I got to go smoke some resin, considering I have a limited supply of Mary J and have to conserve.

I miss everyone back home. I love you guys. Don’t forget about me.

S: In Exhibit C, does she make references to being famous?

J: There is - yes. She would like to be famous or known to be famous.

S: And how does she indicate she would like to be famous?

J: There is a notation on one of her blogs, that she says she would like to meet Bill Clinton this week, because someone- and this is in quotes now - Someone could be so famous for sucking his dick; that’s how famous I could be. End of quote.