How Jeffrey Epstein Grew His Sex-Trafficking Ring

Jeffrey Epstein’s sex-trafficking network grew through girls and young women who recruited others from their own neighbourhoods and social circles. The account focuses on Marina Lacerda, who was 13 when a friend brought her to Epstein’s Manhattan home, showing how he used promises of money, personal attention and trusted introductions to draw in minors.

In 2001, Lacerda was offered $300 for a massage, at a time when she was working to help support her mother and younger sister. Epstein asked her to remove her bra and touched her; when she objected, her friend berated her, while Epstein said she would become comfortable with time. The account describes how the recruiting chain extended from one girl to another and how financial need and pressure from peers helped sustain it.