File 010560
Legal Letter Regarding Childhood Sexual Abuse Claims Against Jeffrey Epstein - File 010560
Letter from Allred, Maroko & Goldberg law firm dated June 19, 2019, to Scott Link regarding representation of a victim of childhood sexual abuse by Jeffrey Epstein in New York City, discussing the Child Victims Act window for filing claims.
Summary
Attorney Gloria Allred's law firm writes to opposing counsel regarding representation of a young woman who experienced childhood sexual abuse by Jeffrey Epstein beginning when she was 16 years old in New York City. The letter details the victim's background as a refugee who became a successful model, her grooming by Epstein who posed as a mentor and father figure, and the sexual abuse that occurred under the guise of massage sessions. The letter discusses how Epstein exploited the victim's vulnerable circumstances, isolation from family, and aspirations for education and career advancement.
-79)AoALLRED, MAROKO & GOLDBERGNATHAN GOLDBERG*MICHAEL MAROKO"GLORIA R. ALLRED*tJOHN S. WESTDOLORES Y. LEALRENEE MOCHKATELMARGERY N. SOMERSMARCUS SPIEGELCHRISTINA CHEUNGtBYRON LAUKIRBY F. CANON* A PROFESSIONAL CORPORATIONt ALSO ADMITTED TO NEW YORK BAROALSO ADMITTED TO WASHINGTON DC BARA PARTNERSHIP OF PROFESSIONAL CORPORATIONS6300 WILSHIRE BOULEVARDSUITE 1500LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA 90048FAXwww.amglaw.comVIA FEDERAL EXPRESS & EMAILMr. Scott LinkLink & Rockenbach, PA1555 Palm Beach Lakes Blvd., Suite 930West Palm Beach, FL 33401Re:Dear Mr. Link,June 19, 2019OF COUNSELMARIA G. DEAZE-MAIL:We represent with reference to her claims against Jeffrey Epsteinfor childhood sexual abuse which occurred in New York City when she was years old.New York recently passed the Child Victims Act which creates a 1 year window forclaims where the statute of limitations had expired. Therefore, will be able to sueMr. Epstein for the sexual abuse which she experienced while she was a minor.was the perfect victim.She was born in M, a town on the coast. When was four yearsold, descended into civil war. At the age of six, her entire village was evacuated. Shefled her hometown travelling through war zones on foot with her family, in a stream of refugees.Her family settled in the outskirts of . As refugees, with no money, her familylived together in one room, sharing a bathroom with other families. Her parents eventuallyfound low paying, unskilled jobs. Their only clothing was what was provided to them by theRed Cross.When she was ten years old,family arrived inBy the sixth grade, was 5'10", beautiful and naturally slim. She desperatelyNEW YORK OFFICES I 305 BROADWAY, SUITE 607 I NEW YORK, NEW YORK 10007T (212) 202-2966 I FAX (212) 202-2967HOUSE OVERSIGHT 010560Scott LinkJune 19, 2019Page 2wanted to leave She learned about a talent search for models and persuaded hermother to take her. She was a huge success and began modeling at age fourteen. Though herparents disparaged her for marketing her appearance, they allowed her to work because sheearned more than their combined income.At age sixteen, moved to New York City to model. She lived in anapartment for models, with one or two roommates and no adult on the premises. Her father wasdeeply ashamed of her because he disapproved of her profession and her parents distancedthemselves.days were hectic with professional assignments. She worked with top tierclients and for DNA Modeling Agency, a well-known agency representing supermodels such asLinda Evangelista and Natalia Vodianova.was very innocent and inexperienced prior to meeting Mr. Epstein. At agesixteen, experienced her first kiss. The director of a perfume campaign, FabianBarron, wanted a kiss at the end of the commercial as a finale to a perfume ad. She dreaded herparents' reaction to seeing the commercial. She was raised in the Orthodox Christian Churchwhere abstinence was encouraged.met Jeffrey Epstein when was sixteen years old. She was introducedthrough a fellow model a few years her senior.Mr. Epstein seemed bigger than life. He did not drink or do drugs, which put her at ease.He was friends with former President Bill Clinton, the President who made it possible for MEand her family to immigrate to America. When she told Mr. Epstein how her familycame to America, Mr. Epstein said he would personally thank "Bill" for her. Mr. Epstein toutedother impressive connections. He made it known that he had A list celebrities on speed-dial.She felt very fortunate to have made the connection with Mr. Epstein.As s estrangement from her family increased, Mr. Epstein's role in her lifebecame more and more important. He encouraged her and built her confidence. She trusted himcompletely.Mr. Epstein told hat he was on the board of directors at HarvardUniversity. He promised that once she took her SATs and obtained the scores she needed, hewould write a letter of recommendation for her, which he said would carry significant weightwith regard to her admission. Her dream was to establish herself as a successful model and toone day graduate from Harvard. Mr. Epstein made her feel that everything she wanted waspossible.HOUSE OVERSIGHT 010561Scott LinkJune 19, 2019Page 3confided to him that she had never even had a boyfriend. He told hereverything would fall into place, "just keep doing what you are doing, work hard and stayfocused." She told Mr. Epstein that she preferred to abstain from sex until she was married.The first time asked her for a massage was to help with an ache in hisshoulder. thought it was an innocent request. He said his masseuse had failed toget a kink out of his shoulder. He gave her a large purple massager for her to use to take the knotout of his back. Mr. Epstein told her she was an excellent masseuse and she was pleased to beable to ease his pain.When the massage ended, Mr. Epstein pulled two hundred dollars from his wallet andhanded it to her. He said, "I was going to give it to the masseuse anyway, so you take it and payfor your car service or something."Mr. Epstein began calling her every day, no matter where she was in the world. He toldher he loved her. He became a vital part of_________________Iworld as her parents remaineddistant. He invited her to stay at one of his apartments close to him on the Upper East Side. Herarduous work schedule, starting with 6:00 a.m. call times and shows running late into the nightwere exhausting. Epstein's daily check-up calls and pep talks gave her strength to survive hergrinding schedule.When in Paris, Mr. Epstein allowed her to stay at his home with her sister and arrangedfor a night out at a concert with Naomi Campbell. It appeared to that Mr. Epstein'sthoughts were focused on her career, future and good fortune.The first time the purple massage tool found its way between her legs, toldhim to stop, but Mr. Epstein pushed the head of the massager firmly against her and forced herlegs apart. She felt ashamed and embarrassed. The massages became a ritual and were alwaysaccompanied with sexual abuse and a two-hundred dollar payment at the end.Mr. Epstein approached her as if he was her mentor and teacher, teaching her aboutsexuality, opening her eyes. She experienced immense orgasms, and then shame and fear. Shefelt claustrophobia as she stared up into Mr. Epstein's church-like ceiling of the massage parlorwhile he fondled her. She felt she couldn't escape her position, and that this was the way it hadto be because this powerful man orchestrated it. At the end of each massage he would makehimself ejaculate by demanding she pay vigorous attention to his nipples with her fingers and hewould tell her what a good girl she was, that he loved her and would call her later, which madeeverything seem better. Then he would open his wallet filled with hundred dollar bills and giveher a couple, which she accepted as pocket money, never thinking twice about it.HOUSE OVERSIGHT 010562Scott LinkJune 19, 2019Page 4thought this is what it must feel like to become a woman. She was boththrilled and ashamed. She followed the path that Mr. Epstein set out for her because he said ifshe trusted him and did what he told her to do, everything would go according to his plan and hercareer would soar. Without him the world was a scary and unpredictable place. When she waswith him, she felt like everything was right because of how much love and care she receivedfrom him. She started to think and believe that they would be together and that he would marryher.He used the purple massage vibrator on her time and time again. She closed her eyesfeeling lost, overwhelmed and out of control.When he stuck his penis in her mouth, she did what she was told. She choked andgagged and when she tried to move her head away he forced it back into place. Mr. Epstein wasextremely aggressive. When it was over he told her how amazing she was. She continued tobelieve in Mr. Epstein's friendship and guidance.Mr. Epstein took her virginity. This was the trajectory for which he groomed her. =first sexual experience was devoid of tenderness or affection. She was stripped downand made to shower. Mr. Epstein told her, "If you're lying about being a virgin, or I get adisease from you, I'll kill you." She felt her mind separate from her body during intercourse.She began to feel like a shell of her former self. She was mortified and in agony. Shefelt she had become everything her parents feared she would become. She was appearing inbeauty magazines and making hundreds of thousands of dollars, but felt dirty and worthless. Mr.Epstein made her feel like nothing more than a teenage prostitute. Everything came crashingdown once she realized that this was not love.left Mr. Epstein's residence for the last time feeling less than human. Onher way out, she passed a young girl who appeared to be another young model. Asturned around to glance back, she saw the young woman entering Mr. Epstein's residence. Shewas disgusted with the realization that she was one of many called to "massage" Epstein.had a nervous breakdown while alone in New York. She found herselfcrying inconsolably, shaking, hyperventilating and unable to go to her castings and meetings.She was suicidal. She feared confiding in her agents and reaching out for help from thembecause she was so ashamed. She booked a ticket to go home.She flew back to Kansas where her parents were living. She never returned to New York.was devastated with the realization of what she was lured into and how sheHOUSE OVERSIGHT 010563Scott LinkJune 19, 2019Page 5had been victimized. It shattered her to her core. At the vulnerable age of 16, Mr. Epstein madehimself the center of her existence and the master of her world. She realized she was adisposable pawn in his game. She could not talk about her years with Mr. Epstein because shewas consumed with shame. At 16 years old, he isolated her and made himself her onlyemotional support system. Her mental torment and pain turned into depression. She wasprescribed medication. She numbed herself and tried not to deal with what had happened. Shetried to block the pain.____________was embarrassed that she had been used and abused. She withdrew and hadno desire to model or interact with anyone in the modeling world anymore.stopped taking calls from modeling agencies, and eventually they stopped calling for good. Shewas afraid to go to New York where her emotions and memories would be triggered.The final contact between and Mr. Epstein was when he tracked herparent's house phone number in Kansas and tried to speak to her. mothergrabbed the phone and told Mr. Epstein she was calling the police before hanging up on him.Her career dwindled to nothing. Taking a break from the modeling industry when clientslike Italian Vogue and Victoria's Secret were requesting bookings constituted career suicide.In Kansas she became chronically depressed. She was suicidal before her 18th birthday.She called the suicide hotline many times from her home.While in Kansas, a friend of________________ent her an email with news that Mr. Epsteinhad been arrested for trafficking underaged girls. felt as if she had gone frombeing a supermodel to becoming an unsuspecting prostitute. Her parents' warnings of whatwould become of her in New York had come to fruition. She fell prey to a child predator, Mr.Epstein, and it took her a decade to understand the gravity of what Epstein had done to her as avulnerable young girl.Mr. Epstein mas ueraded as a loving mentor, a parental substitute and friend who hadnothing bul best interest in mind. The repercussions of the sexual and mentalabuseendured remain with her. Her first sexual encounters are forever scarred bymemories of Mr. Epstein forcing his purple massage device between her legs amidst her cries forhim to stop. Debilitating nausea and stomach pain followed her separation from him. She hadno framework with which to reference what a "normal" sexual experience was. She remainsplagued with self-doubt and insecurity and finds it nearly impossible to separate memories ofMr. Epstein's manipulation and abuse from new relationships she tries to develop.HOUSE OVERSIGHT 010564Scott LinkJune 19, 2019Page 6The sexual abuse Mr. Epstein inflicted upon left irreparable psychologicalscars. She has struggled and continues to struggle with her ability to maintain healthyrelationships with men and in general. Her career is permanently compromised and thelikelihood of recovering severed professional ties is non-existent.Please contact us within ten days of this letter to advise whether Mr. Epstein is amenableto attempting to resolve 's civil claims without litigation.Very truly yours,ALLRED, MAROKO & GOLDBERGHOUSE OVERSIGHT 010565