New lawsuits detail how Jeffrey Epstein allegedly lured victims
Three more alleged victims of Jeffrey Epstein filed lawsuits overnight against the convicted sex offender's estate. The suits claim that Epstein forcibly used a sex toy on one victim and confiscated the passport of another so that she couldn't leave his Caribbean island.
One lawsuit even alleges that following his 2008 conviction on child prostitution charges, Epstein used his work-release program as a front for more sexual abuse. Victims' attorneys said the lawsuits aren't just about going after the multimillionaire's fortune -- they're intended to get justice for the women whose lives he allegedly ruined before his suicide in a New York City jail cell.
"We want to hold the Epstein organization to account first, it's not primarily about money," said attorney Stan Pottinger. Pottinger represents 20 Epstein accusers, including the three women who filed civil lawsuits overnight.
"All of them are against the Epstein estate and various companies that he had as part of his scheme or syndicate or… the organization that he had that helped him round up girls," Pottinger said.
The lawsuit brought by "Lisa Doe" claims an Epstein associate hired Lisa, then 17, "to teach a dance-based exercise class" at Epstein's townhouse. In later interactions, Epstein allegedly solicited massages, "used a sex toy on her, forcibly" and ultimately demanded that she "go to her dance studio and find other dancers."
The lawsuit filed by "Katlyn Doe" alleges Epstein sexually abused her when she was 17 and coerced her to "lose her virginity to him" after she turned 18. It also claims Epstein forced her to marry an associate who wasn't a U.S. citizen so they could stay in the country to recruit more girls.
The lawsuit brought by "Priscilla Doe," who was 20 when she first met Epstein, is the only one to name his purported ex-girlfriend-turned-business associate, Ghislaine Maxwell. Priscilla claims Maxwell taught her "the proper way" to sexually pleasure Epstein while on a trip to his island in the Caribbean -- and alleges Epstein at one point confiscated her passport so she couldn't leave the island voluntarily. Maxwell is not charged with a crime and has previously denied recruiting women for Epstein.
Priscilla's lawsuit also mentions some of Epstein's powerful friends. She said she once met the sultan of Dubai with Epstein, and on another occasion, was forced to serve hors d'oeuvres at a private party Epstein had with director Woody Allen.
CBS News has confirmed that Epstein filed a will in the U.S. Virgin Islands, where he owned a home, just two days before his suicide in a New York City jail cell.
All three lawsuits take aim at Epstein's fortune, which his will reveals to be worth nearly $578 million. Epstein's brother, Mark, is his only listed heir.
After Epstein's suicide, the criminal sex trafficking charges against him effectively died. But Pottinger said the pursuit of justice is very much alive.
"I think the government, while it has been taken off track briefly by this untimely death, I think that they're not giving up," he said.
The new lawsuits come after Attorney General William Barr on Monday removed the acting director of the federal Bureau of Prisons amid mounting evidence of irregularities at the facility where Epstein was held before his suicide.
