Jeffrey Epstein Survivor's Sister Warned FBI About His Abuse In 1996. It Took No Action

The sister of a Jeffrey Epstein survivor reported the disgraced financier to the US authorities as early as 1996, but the FBI failed to properly investigate the allegations, according to newly released files.

Maria Farmer, a painter who worked for Epstein, filed a complaint against the late convicted sex offender and his accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell, approaching the FBI over the sexual abuse of her sister, Annie Farmer, when she was 16 years old. She also told authorities that Epstein had stolen nude images of her siblings, according to The Guardian.

"Complainant [Maria Farmer] stated that she is a professional artist and took pictures of her sisters, 12 and 16 years old, for her own [personal] artwork," the police report states.

Epstein took nude photos and negatives without permission and was believed to have sold the pictures to potential buyers, according to the report.

Earlier, during Ghislaine's sex-trafficking trial in 2021, Annie said she was just 16 years old when Ghislaine gave her a nude massage at Epstein's ranch in New Mexico. She also told the court that the next morning, Epstein got into her bed and told her that he "wanted to cuddle." Annie said she felt frozen and unable to react at the time.

During the trial, prosecutor Lara Pomerantz asked Annie if she could see anyone in the courtroom who had ever given her a massage, and she pointed at Ghislaine.

Recently released documents and witness statements show that despite detailed allegations, the FBI did not pursue a full investigation into Farmer's claims.  

Epstein asked for photographs of young girls at swimming pools. Maria told authorities that the serial sex offender threatened her, warning that he would burn her house down if she ever spoke about the photos, the report added.

It remains unclear whether the FBI took any action after receiving this complaint. There is no public record of a proper investigation being carried out at that time.

Epstein continued abusing teenage girls for many years even after Maria alerted law enforcement in the 1990s. He was not charged for crimes involving underage girls until the mid-2000s.

Jennifer Freeman of Marsh Law, the lawyer representing Maria Farmer in her lawsuit against the US federal government, said, 

"What's new today is finally getting the FBI report of Maria Farmer from 1996—this is triumph and tragedy for Maria and so many survivors."

The newly released files featured images of disturbing child-themed artwork, role-play costumes, and questionable decor in Epstein's Manhattan mansion, a seven-storey home spanning about 21,000 square feet. The walls were also filled with framed pictures of children, including the specific image of a young girl perched on Epstein's shoulders.

One image showed a young boy looking down his own pants, and other framed images showed children in inappropriate positions. 

The house also contained taxidermied animals, including a dog and a tiger, placed in different rooms. At the entrance, there was also a sculpture of a bride holding onto a rope.

Epstein was found dead in a cell at a New York jail in 2019, awaiting trial on federal sex crimes charges. His death was ruled a suicide.