Jeffrey Epstein, 66, has been found dead in his prison cell in Manhattan, New York. His body was discovered at 7.30am local time (11.30pm GMT) on Saturday. Epstein was arrested after landing in New Jersey on his private jet on July 6.
Who was Jeffrey Epstein?
Jeffrey Epstein was an American financier and began his career at the investment bank Bear Stearns.
The American was convicted after pleading guilty of soliciting a prostitute and of procuring an under-18 girl for prostitution in Florida in 2008.
The Palm Beach police in Florida started investigating Epstein in 2005 after a parent complained that he molested her 14-year-old daughter.
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Up until his conviction for sex crimes, Epstein was a well-connected multimillionaire.
Epstein was a longtime acquaintance of Prince Andrew, the Duke of York and Tom Barrack, and has attended parties with many prominent people.
These include Bill Clinton, George Stephanopoulos, Donald Trump, Katie Couric, and Woody Allen.
At the time of his death, Epstein was awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
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Epstein was accused of paying girls under the age of 18 to perform sex acts at his Manhattan and Florida mansions between 2002 and 2005.
Court documents have also accused Prince Andrew of touching a 21-year-old woman’s breast at Epstein’s Manhattan mansion.
The allegation was contained within a portion of just unsealed court papers in a defamation case involving British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell.
In 2015, Ms Maxwell was sued for defamation by Virginia Giuffre, an alleged victim of Epstein who also alleged she was forced into a sexual encounter with the Duke of York when she was 17.
Prince Andrew has always denied that such a sexual encounter took place.
How did Jeffrey Epstein die?
The exact circumstances of Epstein’s death are unclear.
However, the wealthy financier’s body was discovered at 7.30am local time in his prison cell in Manhattan, New York.
Last month, Epstein was found semi-conscious in his cell with injuries to his neck.
According to reports, he was treated at a nearby hospital before being returned to New York’s Metropolitan Correctional Center.