Jeffrey Epstein accuser speaks out, urges judge to reject bail
Courtney Wild claims Jeffrey Epstein sexually abused her when she was 14 years old in his Palm Beach mansion; Bryan Llenas reports.
A New York federal judge denied bail Thursday to Jeffrey Epstein, who currently faces multiple charges of sex trafficking.
The 66-year-old financier has been in custody since his July 6 arrest. He pleaded not guilty in an initial court appearance.
"I doubt that any bail package can overcome danger to the community," U.S. District Judge Richard Berman said Thursday while announcing his decision.
The defense had argued Epstein should be allowed to await trial under house arrest with electronic monitoring at his $77 million Manhattan mansion. They said he wouldn't run and was willing to pledge a fortune of at least $559 million as collateral.
FORMER NEIGHBORS DESCRIBE YOUNG EPSTEIN AS 'NERDY', QUIET WITH NO SIGNS OF PREDATORY BEHAVIOR
At a hearing Monday, Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex Rossmiller said the government's case against Epstein is "getting stronger every single day" as more women contact authorities to say he sexually abused them when they were minors.
One of his accusers who said she was sexually abused by Epstein when she was 14 in Palm Beach, Florida, pleaded with the judge to keep him jailed.
"He's a scary person to have walking the streets," Courtney Wild said during the Monday hearing.
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Rossmiller said the government learned earlier this week that a raid of Epstein's mansion following his July 6 arrest turned up "piles of cash, dozens of diamonds" and a passport with a picture of the defendant but a name other than his in a locked safe.
Prosecutors have also argued Epstein was a risk of trying to influence witnesses after it was discovered he had paid a total of $350,000 to two people, including a former employee, in the last year.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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