Jeffrey Epstein Allegedly Relied on a 'Ring' of Women to Recruit Victims

On the heels of Epstein survivors urging authorities to continue investigating those who aided him in alleged sex trafficking and the sexual assaults of dozens of women and girls, four women who were named “possible co-conspirators” and granted immunity in Florida a decade ago could now face criminal charges in Manhattan.

According to the New York Times, Sarah Kellen, Lesley Groff, Adriana Ross and Nadia Marcinkova allegedly aided Epstein and then-girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell in recruiting victims and scheduling their abuse in a hierarchal scheme that put Epstein and Maxwell at the top and made “assistants” of the other four.

The assistants, some of whom were teenaged victims of Epstein themselves recruited underage friends, managed travel and lodging for the victims, and even policed their weight, according to a lawsuit filed by Sarah Ransome against Maxwell in 2017 and email correspondence:

“Ms. Ransome also alleged in her lawsuit that she was instructed by Mr. Epstein’s associates to go on a diet and to lose about 11 pounds to maintain her slim figure. In one email exchange reviewed by The Times, Ms. Ransome told Ms. Groff she was monitoring her weight for Mr. Epstein. “Please could you also let him know that I am now 57 kg and that everything is going well,” Ms. Ransome emailed Ms. Groff in 2007.”

Marcinkova, who may have also been assaulted by Epstein as a teenager, is accused of participating in the sexual abuse by at least one victim, who was 16 at the time:

“A 16-year-old told detectives she was giving Mr. Epstein a massage when Ms. Marcinkova entered the room naked, according to Palm Beach police reports. Mr. Epstein then told the girl she could make an extra $200 if she performed oral sex on Ms. Marcinkova, and the girl reluctantly agreed, the reports said.”

Court papers also allege that Kellen, who worked as an assistant to Maxwell, also aided her in instructing victims on how to “Please Jeffrey”

“Multiple girls told Palm Beach detectives that when they arrived at Mr. Epstein’s mansion, Ms. Kellen would escort them upstairs to Mr. Epstein’s bedroom and lay out the massage table with the various oils and lotions that they were to use on him, according to police reports.

In an interview, Ms. Ransome said Ms. Kellen and Ms. Maxwell also gave her tips on how to give Mr. Epstein erotic massages, including how to rub his feet and best satisfy him sexually.

“‘It was Ghislaine and Sarah Kellen that showed me how to please Jeffrey,” Ms. Ransome said.’”

Other teenaged victims have testified that they were also paid $200 for each underage friend they “recruited” for Epstein. All four women named in the Times piece were granted immunity in the 2008 plea deal that allowed Epstein to plead guilty to state charges and spend 13 months in county jail rather than face federal trafficking charges. Through lawyers, Maxwell has maintained her innocence as victims plead for the investigation to continue:

“Jeffrey is no longer here, and the women that helped him are,” said Teresa Helm, who said she was recruited into Mr. Epstein’s world 17 years ago. “They definitely need to be held accountable for helping him, helping themselves, helping one another carry on this huge — almost like — system.”