US judge dismisses case against billionaire sex trafficker
A US federal judge has officially dismissed a criminal sex trafficking case against Jeffrey Epstein, almost three weeks after the notorious sex offender allegedly committed suicide in his jail cell.
On Thursday, US District Court Judge Richard Berman signed the dismissal order filed by prosecutors last week after the pedophile multimillionaire was found dead in a Metropolitan Correctional Center prison cell in Manhattan.
An autopsy concluded that he hanged himself.
"Because Jeffrey Epstein, the defendant, died while this case was pending, and therefore before a final judgment was issued, the Indictment must be dismissed under rule of abatement," Berman wrote, referring to the rule under which the indictment is wiped clean if a defendant dies midway through a case.
Berman said at a hearing on Tuesday that he was legally bound to dismiss the case.
Prosecutors said at the hearing that an investigation into Epstein’s crimes would continue, and that the dismissal would not prevent them from charging possible co-conspirators in the future.
Berman also said that his office “remains committed to doing its utmost to stand up for the victims who have already come forward, as well as for the many others who have yet to do so.”
The wealthy 66-year-old financier had been under investigation for nearly two decades at the time of his death on August 10.
Epstein had been indicted on several charges of exploiting underage girls, sex trafficking, and other crimes related to activities that took place between 2002 and 2005 in several different locations.
The 66-year-old, who had befriended numerous celebrities and politicians — including Donald Trump and Bill Clinton — faced up to 45 years in prison if he had remained alive and was convicted.
Some analysts expressed suspicion around the circumstances of his death, noting Epstein's untimely death to be a convenient incident for those high-profile individuals included among his friends.
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