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Jan. 3 (UPI) -- Virginia Giuffre, who is suing Britain's Prince Andrew for sexual assault, settled a similar case against disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein 11 years ago for $500,000, according to court documents filed Monday. The 2009 settlement deal between Giuffre and Epstein was unsealed and filed in U.S. District Court in New York under a request by Andrew, who claims its terms clear him of any liability in Giuffre's suit.
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Giuffre contends in her case that Epstein, who committed suicide in jail in 2019, arranged for her to have sex with Andrew when she was a minor.
The agreement in the 2009 case, entitled Jane Doe No. 102 vs. Jeffrey Epstein, shows that Giuffre ended her suit in exchange for Epstein agreeing to pay her $500,000 and other unspecified "valuable consideration."
Another part of the deal states that anyone else who could become a "potential defendant" as a result of Epstein's actions toward Giuffre would be "acquitted" from any future state or federal lawsuits upon the effective date of the agreement.
Lawyers for Prince Andrew argue this provision bars Giuffre from taking legal action against many people associated with Epstein, whom prosecutors accused of operating a wide-ranging underage sex ring involving girls as young as 14.
Andrew has steadfastly maintained his innocence.
Giuffre was mentioned prominently in the trial of Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell, who on Wednesday was convicted of sex trafficking charges accusing her of grooming young girls for Epstein's sexual abuse.
During the trial, former Epstein housekeeper Juan Alessi recounted being with Maxwell when she first met Giuffre (then known by her maiden name Virginia Roberts) outside former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago Club in Florida.
