All articles tagged with #sex trafficking
First Lady Melania Trump publicly denied any association with Jeffrey Epstein and dismissed online rumors linking her to him or Donald Trump, while calling for congressional hearings to hear from Epstein’s trafficking survivors and urging sworn testimony to establish the truth.
Bank of America has agreed to pay $72.5 million to settle a New York federal class-action accusing the bank of facilitating Jeffrey Epstein's sex-trafficking operation; the deal, which requires judge approval, would compensate victims from 2008 to 2019 and mirrors prior settlements by JPMorgan Chase and Deutsche Bank, though BoA denies wrongdoing.
New Mexico prosecutors, with cooperation from the ranch’s current owners, began a renewed search of Epstein’s secluded Zorro Ranch as part of a reopened inquiry into potential sexual abuse and trafficking connected to the property. The probe references previously sealed FBI files, and follows the ranch’s 2023 sale to the Huffines family; lawmakers have also formed a commission to review past activities at the site.
Three brothers—Oren, Alon, and Tal Alexander—prominent luxury real estate brokers—were convicted of sex trafficking after a five-week New York trial, with prosecutors alleging they drugged and raped dozens of women lured to luxury trips; 11 women testified about assaults in destinations including the Hamptons, a Caribbean cruise, and Aspen, while defense argued any sex was consensual and memories disputed; lawsuits against the family continue.
A Manhattan jury convicted brothers Alon, Oren, and Tal Alexander of multiple federal sex offenses, including conspiracy to commit sex trafficking, after testimony from 11 victims. U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton and law enforcement praised the victims and the jury, underscoring a commitment to ending sex trafficking and urging other victims to report abuse.
US investigators began a search at Jeffrey Epstein's Zorro Ranch in New Mexico after the release of investigative files that renewed scrutiny of his activities at the property.
A jury in a Manhattan federal court has begun deliberations in the sex-trafficking trial of real-estate figures Alon, Oren and Tal Alexander, known as the 'A Team,' following opening statements in which prosecutors outlined the case against them.
Jurors have begun deliberations in the Manhattan federal sex-trafficking trial of Tal Alexander and his brothers Oren and Alon, accused of drugging and raping dozens of women over more than a decade; they face a mandatory minimum of 15 years to life in prison if convicted on all counts, with the five-week trial featuring testimony from more than 30 witnesses.
A Manhattan federal jury began deliberations in the sex-trafficking case against real estate brokers Oren, Alon and Tal Alexander, accused by prosecutors of drugging and coercing women; the defense portrays their behavior as a controversial dating lifestyle, while 11 women testified about assaults. A separate civil suit by Tracy Tutor alleges drugging and assault, and prosecutors point to a blog as part of the alleged scheme. A conviction could carry life in prison.
Jurors began deliberations in the federal sex-trafficking trial of Tal, Oren and Alon Alexander after five weeks of testimony in which prosecutors presented more than 30 witnesses alleging a two-decade scheme of coercion, gifts and drugging to victimize women, including minors. The brothers, who face 10 charges and potential life in prison, deny the accusations; the defense portrays them as boisterous playboys and argues alibis as two charges were dropped and evidence includes texts, emails and a blog.
Virginia Giuffre, a survivor who publicly accused Epstein and Maxwell and later sued Prince Andrew, helped drive the Epstein investigation and Maxwell’s conviction, with Andrew settling his 2022 lawsuit and withdrawing from royal duties; the piece covers reactions from royals and supporters, and notes Giuffre’s death by suicide following a prior bus-crash injury as part of the broader accountability narrative.
UN-appointed experts say the Epstein files describe a global criminal enterprise whose acts may meet the legal threshold for crimes against humanity, urging independent, impartial investigations and warning that redactions and disclosures have retraumatized survivors.
At the Manhattan sex-trafficking trial of Tal, Oren and Alon Alexander, nine women testified about sexual assaults by the brothers, including a 2009 public incident at a Hamptons pool party, described by a witness as bystanders not aiding the victim; the defense says the sex was consensual, while prosecutors argue trafficking. The case could carry life sentences if convicted.
A 2007 draft federal indictment against Jeffrey Epstein laid out charges of sex trafficking and exploitation of more than a dozen teenage girls over six years, detailing a pattern of luring victims to his Palm Beach home, paying them, and even having others recruit more girls, with a coercive threat to a 16-year-old who might report the crimes; the document was never filed because Epstein accepted a state plea deal in 2008, and its release by the Justice Department now shows how extensively investigators believed he operated.
DOJ-disclosed Epstein emails from 2013 show Giants co-owner Steve Tisch asking Epstein to connect him with women and inquiring about their suitability, indicating Tisch sought sexual relationships; the messages also note work-related discussions with Epstein about movie projects. The Tisch family co-owns the Giants with the Mara family since 1991, and Tisch has not publicly commented on the matter.