Democrat-Gazette online

The first police report of sexual misconduct against Jeffrey Epstein was filed in summer 1996, a staggering 11 years and countless victims before he was arrested. A painter named Maria Farmer was at an art show celebrating her graduation from the New York Academy of Art in 1995. She had already sold her paintings of her little sisters, one for $12,000, when--as she claims--Eileen Guggenheim, dean of students at the school, approached her. (Guggenheim denied this happened.)

According to Farmer, Guggenheim introduced her to her "dear friends, Ghislaine Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein," and said that they were benefactors of the Institute who were going to buy Farmer's painting. When Maria said it was already sold, Guggenheim told Maria, "that's too bad," and that Maria would be selling it to the couple for a discount. Epstein said they would make it worth it for her and offered her a job at Epstein's mansion.

Maria said she was later fondled by both Maxwell and Epstein. She was particularly alarmed because before that happened, she had introduced the couple to her 16-year-old sister Annie, because Epstein and Maxwell offered to help Annie get the experience she needed to build her resume to get into college. This experience included going on a trip to Thailand and Vietnam. After the incident happened to Maria, she called Annie, who disclosed that she already had also been molested by both of them.

The family reported what had happened to the sisters both........

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