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3.49 MB
Extraction Summary
10
People
5
Organizations
3
Locations
2
Events
3
Relationships
5
Quotes
Document Information
Type:
Newspaper article clipping
File Size:
3.49 MB
Summary
This newspaper article discusses the legal complexities facing the prosecution of Jeffrey Epstein following his indictment on a single charge of felony solicitation. Experts like attorney Dekle and former prosecutor Betty Resch explain why child sex abuse cases are difficult to win, citing issues with victim credibility, social status, and the tendency of jurors to believe adults over children. The article notes Epstein's high-powered defense team, including Jack Goldberger and Alan Dershowitz, who attacked the victims' credibility.
People (10)
| Name | Role | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Jeffrey Epstein | Defendant |
Indicted on solicitation of prostitution; accused of sex crimes against minors.
|
| Dekle | Attorney / Legal Expert |
Quoted extensively regarding the difficulties of prosecuting child sex abuse cases.
|
| Jack Goldberger | Defense Attorney |
Epstein's attorney; maintains Epstein passed a polygraph regarding victims' ages.
|
| Alan Dershowitz | Defense Attorney / Harvard Professor |
Hired by Epstein; provided prosecutors with info to discredit victims (alcohol/drug use).
|
| Betty Resch | Former Prosecutor / Attorney |
Private practice in Lake Worth; formerly prosecuted crimes against children; comments on victim credibility/sympathy.
|
| Larry Keller | Journalist |
Author of the article (inferred from email address).
|
| Unnamed Victim (16) | Victim |
Told police Epstein knew she was underage; asked about her high school.
|
| Unnamed Victim (15) | Victim |
Threatened by Epstein not to tell anyone.
|
| Unnamed Victim (14) | Victim |
Youngest alleged victim; father quoted.
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| Unnamed Father | Parent |
Father of the 14-year-old victim; states she looked 14.
|
Organizations (5)
| Name | Type | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Palm Beach Post |
Newspaper publishing the article (inferred from email domain).
|
|
| New York Daily News |
Cited as reporting the $10,000 return.
|
|
| State Attorney's Office |
Prosecuting body; criticized for sending case to grand jury.
|
|
| Harvard |
Affiliated with Alan Dershowitz.
|
|
| House Oversight Committee |
Stamped on document (HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_019372).
|
Timeline (2 events)
Last week (relative to article)
Epstein indicted by county grand jury on a single charge of felony solicitation of prostitution.
Palm Beach County
Jeffrey Epstein
Grand Jury
Unknown
Epstein passed a polygraph test regarding knowledge of victims' ages.
Unknown
Locations (3)
| Location | Context |
|---|---|
|
Location of the scandal and police reports.
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|
|
Location of Betty Resch's private practice.
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|
|
Location where massages/abuse occurred.
|
Relationships (3)
Defense attorney Jack Goldberger maintains that not only did Epstein pass a polygraph...
Epstein hired Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz...
Reports of massages and sexual activity.
Key Quotes (5)
"Child sex abuse cases often are difficult to prosecute, an attorney says."Source
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Quote #1
"There is no such thing as an iron-clad child sexual abuse case."Source
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Quote #2
"But she very much looked 14. Any prudent man would have had second thoughts about that."Source
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Quote #3
"The victim becomes less sympathetic to a jury... But she's a victim nevertheless. She's a kid."Source
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Quote #4
"Men who exploit underage children for sex often carefully choose their victims in ways that will minimize the risk to them."Source
HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_019372.jpg
Quote #5
Full Extracted Text
Complete text extracted from the document (4,666 characters)
Lawyer: Juro[rs] often believe a[d]ults over kids
► EPSTEIN from 1B
his current job, has returned $10,000 to him because of the Palm Beach scandal, the New York Daily News has reported.
Rather than file charges, the state attorney's office presented the case to a county grand jury. The panel indicted Epstein last week on a single, less serious charge of felony solicitation of prostitution.
The case raised eyebrows because the state attorney's office rarely, if ever, kicks such charges to a grand jury. And it increases the difficulty of prosecuting child sex abuse cases, especially when the defendant is enormously wealthy and can hire high-priced, top-tier lawyers.
At least one of Epstein's alleged victims told police he knew she was underage when the two of them got naked for massages and sexual activity. She was 16 years old at the time and said Epstein asked her questions about her high school, according to police reports.
A girl who said she met Epstein when she was 15 said he told her if she told anybody what happened at his house, bad things could happen, the police reports state.
Epstein's youngest alleged victim was 14 when she says she gave him a massage that included some sexual activity. She is now 16. The girl's father says he doesn't know whether she told Epstein her age.
"My daughter has kept a lot of what happened from me because of sheer embarrassment," he said. "But she very much looked 14. Any prudent man would have had second thoughts about that."
Defense attorney Jack Goldberger maintains that not only did Epstein pass a polygraph test showing he did not know the girls were minors, but their stories weren't credible. The state attorney's office also implied that their credibility was an issue when it decided not to charge Epstein directly, but instead gave the case to the grand jury.
"A prosecutor has to look at it in a much broader fashion," a state attorney's spokesman said last week.
Epstein hired Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz when he became aware he was under investigation, and Dershowitz gave prosecutors information that some of the alleged victims had spoke of using alcohol and marijuana on a popular Web site, according to a Palm Beach police report.
Prosecutors typically consider two things in deciding whether to charge somebody with sex-related offenses against minors — whether there is sufficient evidence and whether there is a public interest in doing so, Dekle said.
Child sex abuse cases often are difficult to prosecute, an attorney says.
If two teens are in a sexual relationship and the boy turns 18 before the girl, he could be charged with a sex crime if the sex continues. There would be no public interest in pursuing that, Dekle said.
But where there is a large gap in ages — and especially in cases of teachers with students — there is a public interest in prosecuting, he said. Likewise if the accused has a track record of sex with minors.
Still there is a "universal constant" in prosecuting these cases, Dekle said. Men who exploit underage children for sex often carefully choose their victims in ways that will minimize the risk to them, he said.
Victims usually are from a lower social status, and they may suffer from psychological problems, Dekle said.
"Lots of child sexual abuse victims have been victimized by multiple people over a period of time. Then the act of abuse produces behavior in the victims that further damages their credibility." Examples include promiscuous behavior and drug abuse.
Some of the alleged victims in the Epstein case returned to his home multiple times for the massage sessions and the $200 to $300 he typically paid them per visit. "That would be a definite problem for the prosecutor," said Betty Resch, who prosecuted crimes against children in Palm Beach County for five years and now is in private practice in Lake Worth.
"The victim becomes less sympathetic" to a jury, Resch said. "But she's a victim nevertheless. She's a kid."
Most men charged with sex crimes against minors look normal, Dekle said. A jury expecting to see a monster seldom will. And the victims' ages work against them and in favor of the defendant in a trial, Dekle said.
If a child and an adult tell different stories and both swear they're telling the truth, adult jurors are more likely to believe the adult, Dekle said.
"You have all these things working against you in a child sex abuse case. Prosecutors normally try to be very careful in filing those cases because they know what they're getting into. There is no such thing as an iron-clad child sexual abuse case."
@ larry_keller@pbpost.com
03956-77
HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_019372
HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_019372
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