Prosecutors to probe Jeffrey Epstein’s Brazil connections

Brazilian federal prosecutors this week launched a sealed investigation into potential ties between convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and women in Brazil, marking the latest international fallout from recently released US Justice Department files that have reignited scrutiny of the late disgraced financier’s global network.

The probe was motivated by a complaint about 2010 email exchanges between Epstein and a Brazilian woman, discussing US travel arrangements for another woman from Natal (in Rio Grande do Norte state), described as being from a “humble family.” In the messages, Epstein requested photos of the Brazilian woman in a bikini or underwear. Whether the trip occurred remains unclear.

A prosecutor told BBC Brasil that investigators will analyze all situations where Brazilian women may have been groomed, and attempt to identify whether sex-trafficking networks operated in the country.