While Donald Trump’s Justice Department failed to meet a legal deadline to release all Jeffrey Epstein-related files by Friday, one document in an otherwise disappointing disclosure revealed authorities’ inaction—and its devastating consequences for dozens of teenage girls.
That document is an FBI report from Maria Farmer, an artist who worked for Epstein around 1996. Farmer, whose sister Annie Farmer was abused by Epstein and his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell at age 16, told authorities that year that the late financier had “stolen” nude photographs of her sisters.
According to the New York Times, Farmer reported Epstein’s actions regarding these photos, but the FBI has never publicly acknowledged her report. The newspaper also noted that an internal investigation into the Justice Department’s handling of Epstein’s case omitted any mention of it.
The police report states: “Complainant [Maria Farmer] stated that she is a professional artist and took pictures of her sisters, 12 and 16 years old, for her own personal art work.” It adds, “Epstein stole the photos and negatives and is believed to have sold the pictures to potential buyers.”
The report also says Epstein requested “pictures of young girls at swimming pools” and threatened Farmer, warning “that if she tells anyone about the photos he will burn her house down.” It remains unclear what, if anything, the FBI did with that information. What is clear is that Epstein continued to abuse girls for years after Maria Farmer alerted law enforcement.
Indeed, Epstein was not prosecuted for abusing teenage girls until the mid-2000s. The FBI declined the Guardian’s request for comment.
Through her attorney, Jennifer Freeman of Marsh Law, Maria Farmer said 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, said in a statement: “What’s new today is finally getting the FBI report of Maria Farmer from 1996—this is triumph and tragedy for Maria and so many survivors.”
She added: “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 1,000 victims could have been spared and 30 years of trauma avoided. After several years of asking for her records, the government finally released at least some of them today.”
Annie Farmer testified at Maxwell’s 2021 trial that she was just 16 when Maxwell gave her a nude massage at Epstein’s New Mexico ranch. During her testimony, she described how Epstein and Maxwell groomed her for abuse, even using an unaware Maria Farmer to gain access.
She recalled meeting Epstein at his Manhattan mansion in late 1995 while her sister was working for him as a painter. Epstein bought Annie Farmer a plane ticket to New York, and her sister told her he might be “interested in helping me with my education.” Her first visit to Epstein’s home with Maria was to pick up theater tickets he had bought for them.
“He seemed very friendly and kind of down to earth. He was dressed casually,” Annie Farmer testified. The next time she met Epstein, they went to the movies with her sister. He sat between them and during the film began “caressing” her hand. “He was rubbing the bottom of my shoe and then rubbing my foot, my leg,” she said. “I was very nervous.”
Annie Farmer explained she didn’t tell Maria, as her older sister was “very protective,” and she didn’t want to jeopardize her job with Epstein. But in the spring of 1996, Annie Farmer’s mother informed her they were going on a weekend trip to Epstein’s New Mexico ranch. She said she felt a little more at ease after learning that a woman would be there.A man named Maxwell was there, and I assumed she was Epstein’s girlfriend. After several trips into town, it was decided that I would learn how to give Epstein a foot massage, with Maxwell showing me how to rub his feet.
“I watched what she was doing and followed her instructions,” Annie Farmer recalled. “I felt very uncomfortable. I wanted to stop.”
Annie Farmer said Maxwell asked if she’d ever had a professional massage, telling her, “She wanted me to have that experience and would be happy to give me a massage.”
Maxwell told Annie Farmer to undress. She complied and lay under a sheet on a massage table.
“She pulled the sheet down, exposed my breasts, and started rubbing my chest and upper breast,” Annie Farmer said. “I just wanted so badly to get off the table.”
The next day, when Annie Farmer woke up, Epstein “bounded into the room, saying he wanted to cuddle.”
“He climbed into bed with me,” Annie said. “He pressed his body into me.” She escaped by telling him she needed to use the restroom.
In the years after Maria Farmer’s report, accounts from accusers and court documents show that Epstein’s abuse continued. When he was arrested in 2019, prosecutors alleged that from 2002 to 2005, he “sexually exploited and abused dozens of minor girls” at his homes in Manhattan and Palm Beach, Florida.
The 2008 plea deal, which allowed Epstein to plead guilty to state-level prostitution charges in Florida, occurred during a federal investigation involving at least 40 teenage girls.
In a CNN interview after the document was released, Annie Farmer noted that many girls were abused after her sister came forward.
“And just to see it in writing and to know that they had this document this entire time,” Annie Farmer said, “and how many people were harmed after that date—we’ve been saying it over and over, but to see it in black and white that way has been very emotional.”
“I still have questions about whether they did not take it seriously,” she added, referring to the FBI, “or if they were protecting Epstein because of whatever relationship he had with the government. There are just so many questions, and that’s why we hope for more transparency.”
Information and support for anyone affected by rape or sexual abuse is available from the following organizations. In the US, Rainn offers support at 800-656-4673. In the UK, Rape Crisis offers support at 0808 500 2222. In Australia, support is available at 1800Respect (1800 737 732). Other international helplines can be found at ibiblio.org/rcip/internl.html.
Frequently Asked Questions
FAQs 1996 Report to FBI About Jeffrey Epstein
BeginnerLevel Questions
1 What is this news about
This news is about newly revealed documents showing that the sister of one of Jeffrey Epsteins victims tried to report him to the FBI as early as 1996 but the FBI did not open a formal investigation at that time
2 Who reported Jeffrey Epstein in 1996
The report was made by the older sister of a young woman who was allegedly being sexually exploited by Epstein She contacted the FBIs West Palm Beach office
3 What happened after the 1996 report
According to the documents the FBI did not pursue a full investigation The case essentially went nowhere for years allowing Epsteins alleged crimes to continue
4 Why is this significant now
It shows that authorities had credible early warnings about Epsteins predatory behavior decades before his eventual arrest and highlights a major failure in the justice system that allowed him to evade accountability
5 What was the FBIs response to these revelations
The FBI has stated it does not comment on specific investigations but affirms its commitment to investigating allegations of sexual abuse and holding perpetrators accountable
Advanced Detailed Questions
6 What do the newly revealed documents actually say
The documents which include FBI records and victim statements detail the sisters 1996 tip She reported that Epstein had hired her younger sister and other young women paying them for massages that escalated into sexual acts
7 Why didnt the FBI investigate in 1996
The exact reasons are not fully clear from the documents Potential factors could include the highprofile nature of Epstein and his associates the challenging nature of prosecuting sexual crimes institutional failures or the manipulation of the justice system by powerful individuals
8 How does this fit into the broader timeline of the Epstein case
This 1996 report is one of the earliest known official warnings Epstein was not arrested until 2006 on state charges and finally on federal charges in 2019 This revelation underscores a pattern of missed opportunities over more than two decades
9 What are the legal and institutional implications of this failure
It raises serious questions about the FBIs protocols for handling tips about sexual exploitation especially when they involve wealthy and wellconnected individuals It may lead to calls for further scrutiny
