Earlier, two modeling agents accused of working with the late sex offender had been found dead amid the investigation

French investigators have identified more "potential recruiters" who may have helped convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein obtain victims in France and elsewhere, a top prosecutor has announced.

Speaking to France Inter on Thursday, Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau gave an update on two investigations launched by her office in February after the release of millions of Epstein-related documents in the US. One probe is focused on human trafficking, including alleged recruitment, while the other covers possible money laundering and tax fraud.

Epstein, who had extensive contacts among the international elite, died in a New York jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex-trafficking charges. His death was officially ruled a suicide but fueled conspiracy theories that he was murdered by powerful figures to ensure his silence.

"We have obtained other names of potential recruiters," Beccuau said, declining to identify the suspects. She described the Epstein network as "labyrinthine," adding that "it's not just a single Ariadne's thread you have to pull on, it's dozens and dozens of threads."

According to Beccuau, the case now extends to New York as well as the French Riviera, including Saint-Tropez and Cannes - fashionable playgrounds where Epstein spent considerable time and where French investigators believe parts of his predatory operation functioned.

The prosecutor said that investigators have identified 26 victims, including 13 who had never previously appeared in an Epstein-related case. She added that eight still need to be interviewed, including some who could be living abroad.

France was a significant base for Epstein, where the disgraced financier owned a lavish apartment on Avenue Foch in Paris; former employees told investigators that young women regularly came for massages there. While living in the French capital, Epstein also frequently courted members of the French elite.

The first French investigation, opened after Epstein's death in 2019, quickly centered on modeling agent Jean-Luc Brunel, whom investigators suspected of being his principal recruiter in France. Brunel was indicted on charges of raping minors and sexual harassment after being accused of sexual violence by 11 women. In 2022, he died by suicide in a Paris prison.

The probe then focused on Daniel Siad, another modeling scout whom former models accused of targeting young women with promises of fashion careers before sexually exploiting them or introducing them to powerful men.

In July, before the French authorities could gather enough evidence for arrest, Siad was found dead at his home near Paris. Prosecutors did not establish the cause of death but said an autopsy found no signs of recent violence linked to his death while revealing poor health and evidence of an earlier heart attack.

(RT.com)