Prince Andrew visited Jeffrey Epstein during house arrest, say court files

Prince Andrew met Jeffrey Epstein who was under house arrest (Image: Getty) Prince Andrew visited Jeffrey Epstein while his paedophile friend was under house arrest for soliciting a young girl for prostitution according to court documents. Court evidence contradicts the Duke of York’s emphatic claims he only saw the sex offender once after his 2008 jailing – and that was after he finished his sentence. The King’s brother previously told BBC Newsnight the only time he visited now dead Epstein was in New York in December 2010 to break off their friendship. But not only did the two friends share dinner together before then, according to court documents, Andrew was in touch with Epstein while still serving his time and beyond. The evidence comes to light as the duke, 63, still has not spoken with the FBI’s ongoing investigation into the last Wall Street financier’s abuse of young girls and those who enabled him. An Epstein victim called the evidence ‘the most damning allegation’ against the royal since he was accused of sexually abusing Virginia Giuffre. She said: ‘Andrew’s story of why he saw Jeffrey after his sentence was served was always dubious. ‘But other than being accused of abusing Virginia, this is the most damning allegation yet. ‘Evidence shows Andrew visited Jeff while serving his sentence under house arrest and then arranged meetings between the duke and his Wall Street cronies. ‘The prince must have thought his secrets were safe after Jeff died, but now he is being haunted from beyond the grave. The feds should listen.’ Lawyers for the victims also hit out at the discovery. Spencer Kuvin, an attorney for three of Epstein’s victims, including the youngest, said that the meeting under house arrest should see the king distance himself further from his brother. He said: ‘Unfortunately, we should not be surprised. ‘As an advocate for the victims of Epstein, I am deeply disgusted by the behaviour of Andrew. ‘His actions have shown a complete disregard for the victims and a complete lack of decency. ‘His actions have brought a tremendous embarrassment upon the Royal House, and the King should seek to distance himself further from his brother.’ Arick Fudali, a partner at The Bloom Firm who represents eight victims, said: ‘Recently released documents, revelations, and lawsuits appear to reinforce a painful reality for the survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse -that Epstein’s many alleged enablers, facilitators, and associates continued to work and associate with Epstein in order to personally benefit from his wealth and connections, despite the heinous allegations against him. Prince Andrew with Jeffrey Epstein (Image: PA) ‘By maintaining connections and relationships with high-profile and powerful individuals and entities, Epstein was able to continue to perpetuate the most prolific sex trafficking scheme of our time, even after he pleaded guilty and served a prison sentence in 2008.’ Four years ago, Andrew told BBC Newsnight he only saw Epstein once after his sentence to inform him the two could no longer remain friends. The King’s disgraced brother told journalist Emily Maitlis it was the only contact he had with the American financier since learning that he was being investigated by Florida police in 2006. He even corrected her throughout his interview. However, court documents – which cite emails from and between Andrew and Epstein – state the friends had dinner together in June 2010 while the paedophile was still serving his sentence under house arrest. Court papers from a civil case brought by the US Virgin Islands government against JP Morgan in New York detail the billionaire’s meeting with Andrew. A series of emails written by Epstein to the banking giant’s then-CEO Jes Staley show how he acted as an intermediary between the two men. For years the paedophile exchanged messages with the duke and Staley setting up meetings. In an email sent on June 14, 2010, Epstein told the banker: ‘Andrew just sat next to me at dinner. We will try to connect this week. Any word on M? This is fun.’ It is not who or what ‘M’ is. At the time of the email, Epstein was serving 12 months under house arrest in Palm Beach, Florida, following his 13-month stint in prison for soliciting a minor for prostitution. On Newsnight, interviewer Emily Maitlis asked him: ‘In 2008, he was convicted of soliciting and procuring a minor for prostitution, and he was jailed; this was your friend; how did you feel about it?’ The royal replied: ‘Well, I ceased contact with him after I was aware that he was under investigation, and that was later in 2006, and I wasn’t in touch with him again until 2010. Mural of Prince Andrew who came under scrutiny for his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein (Image: Getty) ‘So just it was one of those things that somebody’s going through that sort of thing. Well, I’m terribly sorry I can’t be…see you.’ Maitlis then asked: ‘So, no contact?’ ‘No contact,’ the father-of-two responded, She then asked: ‘When he was serving time, there was no call, no letter, nothing there?’ The Prince replies: ‘No. No. No.’ However, according to court documents, Andrew spoke to Epstein in April 2010 while under house arrest at his 11,441-square-foot waterfront home in Palm Beach, Florida. The legal papers state: ‘On April 15, 2010, Epstein wrote to Prince Andrew the Duke of York (redacted word) ‘jes staley will be in London on Thurs the 22.. I think you should meet if you are in town’. The entry continues: ‘Prince Andrew replies that he is unavailable but will look to visit New York in the near future.’ Epstein was jailed following a highly controversial sweetheart deal with prosecutors that saw him avoid decades in prison if convicted of the abuse he was accused of. He instead brokered a plea through his powered lawyers to plead guilty to procuring a person, including a minor, for prostitution. When he was released in July 2009 from the Palm Beach County Stockade prison after 13 months, Epstein immediately began serving one year of house arrest. Some of the conditions imposed as part of his home detention were the same as sex-offender community control. It included no unsupervised contact with children, no working or volunteering at places where children congregate, no pornography, no living within 1,000 feet of a playground or school and agreeing to warrantless searches of his home, vehicles and body. Even with those restrictions, Epstein spent much time away from home. During the first nine months of his house arrest, he made 14 trips to New York to meet with his attorneys and five trips to the Caribbean on business – always flying on his private jet, according to his daily logs required as part of his house arrest. In his November 2019 BBC interview, the royal was quizzed about why he had chosen to visit Epstein in December 2010 following his release from prison for soliciting a minor. The prince said it was to inform him in person they could no longer be in contact and that they were to stop speaking immediately. After staying at the financier’s house on New York’s Upper East Side, Andrew said it was the last contact the two friends had. Maitlis asked: ‘Was that visit, December of 2010, the only time you saw him after he was convicted?’ Andrew responded: ‘Yes, yeah.’ She pressed further and asked him: ‘Did you see him or speak to him again?’ The duke replied, ‘No’. ‘Never since then?’ she posed. ‘No.’ The billionaire sex offender died by jail cell suicide in August 2019 while awaiting trial for underage sex offence. Andrew was accused by Epstein’s ‘teenage sex’ slave Guiffre of sleeping with her in the UK and America. The Duke and his legal team vehemently denied her claims.