A federal judge has denied bail to Jeffrey Epstein, who is accused of sex crimes involving dozens of underage girls, rejecting the multimillionaire’s request to stay at his New York mansion until his trial.
“I find that the government has established danger to others and to the community by clear and convincing evidence,” said Richard Berman, the judge overseeing the case.
He found there was a risk of flight by the “preponderance of the evidence” and described the proposed bail arrangements, involving Mr Epstein remaining at his mansion, as “irretrievably inadequate.”
Prosecutors have accused Mr Epstein of trafficking and sexually abusing minors at his mansions in New York and Palm Beach, Florida, between 2002 and 2005. He pleaded not guilty to the charges at an initial hearing on 8 July.
The case, brought by the Manhattan US attorney’s office, came more than a decade after a controversial plea deal in Miami that prevented a federal indictment at the time. In 2008, he pleaded guilty to state prostitution offences.
Mr Epstein’s bail hearing was initially scheduled for Monday but the judge said he would postpone the hearing to Thursday after prosecutors revealed that more victims had come forward since his arrest earlier this month.
Two of his alleged victims spoke at that earlier hearing. Courtney Wild, who told the court Mr Epstein had sexually abused her when she was 14, called him “a scary person to have walking the street”.
Mr Epstein’s lawyers said he was willing to post bail as high as $100m, including his $77m Manhattan mansion and his private jet. They argued that the 66-year-old posed no danger to the community and should be allowed to remain at his New York residence under house arrest while he awaits trial.
An asset summary, filed under seal last week and released on Monday, provided a limited glimpse into the secretive money manager’s wealth. It is unclear whether the figures were audited or whether Mr Epstein had significant debts not listed in the summary but he disclosed assets worth just under $560m.
Prosecutors argued that Mr Epstein was a flight risk and a danger to the community, pointing to his international connections and multiple residences around the world.
Alex Rossmiller, an assistant US attorney in Manhattan, also said earlier this week that an expired passport from the 1980s had been found in a locked safe at Mr Epstein’s mansion that had his picture on it but a different name and Saudi Arabia listed as the place of residence.
A letter from Mr Epstein’s lawyers addressed to the judge in the case said he was given the passport “by a friend”. “Some Jewish-Americans were informally advised at the time to carry identification bearing a non-Jewish name when travelling internationally in case of hijacking,” the letter said.
