1996 FBI Complaint Surfaces in Epstein Documents
Thousands of pages related to the late Jeffrey Epstein have been made public by the Department of Justice this week, with more expected. Among these records is an FBI complaint submitted by Maria Farmer, a victim and former employee of Epstein.
The complaint, dated September 3, 1996, focuses on "child pornography." Farmer reported that Epstein had photographs taken of children near swimming pools. Despite filing this report, she received no response from authorities for many years.
When The New York Times informed Farmer that her complaint was included in the released files, she "broke down in tears." She stated, "I've waited 30 years. I can't believe it. They can't call me a liar anymore."
According to the complaint, Epstein instructed Farmer to photograph young girls at pools. He also allegedly stole personal artwork photos of her underage sisters, some nude, and threatened to burn her house down if she disclosed this information. Farmer urged investigators to examine Epstein's ties to wealthy and influential individuals.
Authorities finally contacted Farmer about a decade after her complaint, during Epstein's Florida sex crimes investigation. Epstein later pleaded guilty, registered as a sex offender, and died in 2019 while facing sex trafficking charges.
Both Maria Farmer and her sister, Annie Farmer, have accused Epstein of sexual assault. Annie Farmer, who was 16 at the time of the alleged assault, reacted emotionally to the release of the FBI complaint. She told CNN's Jake Tapper: "I have to say, it has been an emotional day and a way that I was not expecting. You know, my sister, Maria Farmer, reported Epstein and his crimes in 1996. We've been saying that over and over again. And part of what was released today was an official FBI form. And I think it was an FD71 dated September 3rd, 1996 with my sister's, some of my sister's report. It was labeled under child pornography, and it described Epstein stealing photos of myself at the age of 16, of my younger sister, who was 12 at the time. 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? It just, you know, we've been saying it over and over, but to see it in black and white that way has been very emotional."
