Newly disclosed documents have exposed a critical failure by the FBI to act on an early report about Jeffrey Epstein's predatory behaviour, a lapse that allowed the financier to continue sexually abusing minors for decades.
The 1996 Report That Was Ignored
The revelation centres on a 1996 FBI report filed by artist Maria Farmer. Farmer, whose younger sister Annie Farmer was later abused by Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell at age 16, told authorities that Epstein had "stolen" nude photographs of her siblings.
The police report states that Maria Farmer, a professional artist, had taken pictures of her sisters, aged 12 and 16, for her personal artwork. "Epstein Stole the photos and Negatives and is believed to have sold the pictures to potential buyers," the document adds.
Furthermore, the report detailed how Epstein had requested "pictures of young girls at swimming pools" and threatened Farmer, saying "that if she tells anyone about the photos he will burn her house down". Despite this alarming account, it remains unclear what action, if any, the FBI took. The New York Times noted that an internal investigation into the justice department's handling of Epstein's case did not even mention this report.
Consequences of Inaction: A Pattern of Abuse Continues
The consequences of this inaction were dire. With law enforcement failing to intervene, Epstein was free to continue his exploitation. He did not face prosecution related to abusing teenage girls until the mid-2000s.
Annie Farmer provided a harrowing account of this abuse during Ghislaine Maxwell's 2021 trial. She testified that she was groomed by Epstein and Maxwell in 1995-96, with her unwitting sister Maria providing initial access. The abuse culminated at Epstein's New Mexico ranch, where Maxwell, then aged 16, gave her a nude massage, touching her breasts.
The next morning, Epstein climbed into bed with her and pressed his body against her, an encounter she escaped by feigning a need for the bathroom. Annie Farmer's experience was a precursor to the fates of many others. When Epstein was finally arrested in 2019, prosecutors alleged he had "sexually exploited and abused dozens of minor girls" from 2002 to 2005 alone.
Victims Demand Answers and Accountability
For Maria Farmer, the release of the 1996 report is bittersweet. Through her attorney, Jennifer Freeman, she stated she was "shedding tears of joy for myself but also tears of sorrow for all of the other victims that the FBI failed".
Freeman, who is representing Maria Farmer in a lawsuit against the federal government, emphasised the scale of the failure. "Maria Farmer reported Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell’s crimes in 1996. Had the government done their job, and properly investigated Maria’s report, over 1000 victims could have been spared and 30 years of trauma avoided," she said.
Speaking to CNN after the document's release, Annie Farmer expressed her anguish at seeing the proof of official inaction. "And just to see it in writing and to know that they had this document this entire time... and how many people were harmed after that date," she said. She questioned whether the FBI did not take it seriously or was protecting Epstein due to his connections, calling for greater transparency.
The document release, which was a legal requirement, underscores a profound institutional failure that enabled one of the most notorious sexual predators of modern times to operate with impunity for years.
