French Prosecutors Uncover New Suspected Epstein Recruiters

By Staff, Agencies

French investigators have identified additional “potential recruiters” suspected of helping convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein obtain victims in France and elsewhere, Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau said Thursday.

Speaking to France Inter, Beccuau provided an update on two investigations launched in February following the release of millions of Epstein-related documents in the United States. One probe focuses on human trafficking and recruitment, while the other examines possible money laundering and tax fraud.

“We have obtained other names of potential recruiters,” Beccuau said, declining to identify them. She described Epstein’s network as “labyrinthine,” involving “dozens and dozens of threads.”

The investigation now extends from New York to the French Riviera, particularly Saint-Tropez and Cannes, where Epstein spent significant time and where investigators believe parts of his operation were conducted.

Beccuau said authorities have identified 26 victims, including 13 who had not previously appeared in an Epstein-related case. Eight still need to be interviewed, with some believed to be living abroad.

France was a major base for Epstein, who owned a luxury apartment on Paris’ Avenue Foch. Former employees told investigators that young women regularly visited the property for massages, while Epstein also cultivated relationships with members of the French elite.

The first French investigation, opened after Epstein’s death in 2019, focused heavily on modeling agent Jean-Luc Brunel, whom investigators suspected of being his main recruiter in France. Brunel was indicted over accusations involving rape of minors and sexual harassment after 11 women accused him of sexual violence. He died by suicide in a Paris prison in 2022.

Investigators later turned their attention to modeling scout Daniel Siad, whom former models accused of approaching young women with promises of fashion careers before sexually exploiting them or introducing them to powerful men.

In July, before French authorities had gathered enough evidence to arrest Siad, he was found dead at his home near Paris. Prosecutors did not establish the cause of death, while an autopsy found no signs of recent violence and reported poor health and evidence of a previous heart attack.