PALM BEACH, Fla., June 10 (UPI) -- Attorneys for women who allege they were hired as teen prostitutes by a wealthy Florida money manager say they want to unseal a secret plea agreement he made.
Jeffrey Epstein of Palm Beach, Fla., last year pleaded guilty to procuring teens for prostitution, but the details of a plea agreement he struck with prosecutors have remained sealed by the court in an unprecedented move, hampering efforts by young women who said they had sex with Epstein to win civil damages from him, The Palm Beach Post reported Wednesday.
Attorneys for the women said they would ask Circuit Judge Jeffrey Colbath to unseal Epstein's deal. Bill Berger, who represents a former teen prostitute identified only as E.W., argued in a court filing: "It is against public policy for these documents to have been sealed and hidden from public scrutiny. As a member of the public, E.W. has the right to have these documents unsealed."
The newspaper said various media accounts indicate Epstein, 56, at one time counted former U.S. President Bill Clinton, Donald Trump and Britain's Prince Andrew among his social circle. He is now in the Palm Beach County Stockade, serving an 18-month sentence, the Post reported.
