Central witness in Epstein case speaks publicly for 1st time
The woman who provided critical evidence that allowed federal prosecutors to chargeJeffrey Epsteinwith sex trafficking of minors in 2019 is speaking out publicly for the first time, urging lawmakers to release records related to the convicted sex offender to help his victims heal. Sources say Marina Lacerda, 37, was identified in Epstein's 2019 indictment as "Minor-Victim 1" and provided key information that helped prosecutors put the sex offenderbehind bars. Speaking publicly for the first time in an interview with ABC News, Lacerda called on the Trump administration to release their records related to Epstein and encouraged other survivors of abuse to come forward. To see the full interview, tune into ABC's "Good Morning America" on Wednesday at 7 a.m. "I would like for them to give all the victims transparency, right, to what happened and release these files. It's also not only for the victims, but for the American people," Lacerda told ABC News' Linsey Davis regarding Epstein, the wealthy financier and convicted sex offender whodied by suicidein a New York jail in 2019. Federal investigators first contacted Lacerda in 2008, but Epstein secured a controversial and once-secret non-prosecution agreement with federal prosecutors before she could tell a grand jury about her allegations of childhood sex abuse. Investigators returned to Lacerda more than ten years later, using her experiences to build a case that charged Epstein with sex trafficking minors in New York. According to the indictment, Lacerda first met Epstein when she was 14 years old in 2002 when she was recruited to come to his palatial New York home to provide a massage to Epstein -- an interaction that ultimately led to years of sexual abuse. "His house was a revolving door. There was always girls," Lacerda told ABC News. "If he was in New York, he had his week prepped to see as many girls as possible. I would say he was seeing about five to maybe eight women, maybe even more, maybe up to ten women a day." After immigrating fromBrazilwith her family, Lacerda said she was living in Queens and sharing a single bedroom with her mother and sister when she first met Epstein. A friend first introduced her to the financier, framing it as an opportunity to make money to support her family. "She had said that, you know, I was going to massage somebody and there wasn't much specifics," Lacerda said. "I wasn't expecting what led on to that day because I think with Jeffrey Epstein, it starts somewhere, but then it ends. Either you having sex with them whether you like it or not." Over the next three years, Lacerda said she became a part of a growing network of young girls recruited by Epstein in New York, meeting and being forced into sexual interactions with the financier. Lacerda said Epstein eventually paid her thousands of dollars, and she believed being associated with the financier would open doors for her as an immigrant from Brazil. She recalled that Epstein displayed photos of high-profile celebrities and politicians in his home, and that he conducted phone calls with high-profile individuals. MORE: Exclusive: Florida feds knew of New York victim in Epstein indictment 11 years earlier "I thought that if I just played along that I wouldn't be this immigrant from Brazil, you know, and that I would have something to look forward," she said. But Lacerda said Epstein's interest in her faded as she grew older, and she began recruiting other young women for him. "It came to a point when I was, I'd say, 16 and a half or 17. He didn't want me anymore. He was just like, you're too old," she said. Years later, Lacerda said that FBI agents arrived at her doorstep to ask questions about Epstein. She said she immediately called Epstein, who provided her with a lawyer. While she prepared to speak to the grand jury in 2008 about Epstein, the opportunity was cut short when Epstein secured a deal with prosecutors. "I would have felt much better today speaking if I was able to speak in 2008," she said. "If they gave me the chance to speak, these women would not be through this." MORE: Tens of thousands of Epstein-related records from DOJ released, Oversight Committee says Eleven years later, the FBIcontacted Lacerda again, as New York prosecutors opened a case into Epstein. Her experience ultimately provided prosecutors with key information to unravel his alleged network of child sex abuse in New York. The Trump administration has beendealing with the falloutfrom its decision not to release materials related to the investigation into Epstein following the blowback it received from MAGA supporters after it announced last month that no additional files would be released. Epstein, whose private island estate was in the U.S. Virgin Islands, has long been rumored to have kept a "client list" of celebrities and politicians, which right-wing influencers have baselessly accused authorities of hiding. The Justice Department and FBI announced in July that they hadfound no evidencethat Epstein kept a client list, after several top officials, before joining the administration, had themselves accused the government of shielding information regarding the Epstein case. MORE: Trump supporters angry over Justice Department's Epstein memo On Tuesday, Lacerda met with Congressional lawmakers alongside other survivors of Epstein. Decades after her abuse, she said that the incessant coverage of Epstein and the lack of transparency only exacerbate the harm suffered by his victims. "We need to have transparency. We need the Epstein files to be out," she said. "Today I spoke about it -- I want to have my files so that I can begin to heal."
Central witness in Epstein case speaks publicly for 1st time The woman who provided critical evidence that allowed federal prosecutors to ch...
