PALM BEACH, Fla. — Twenty years after Jeffrey Epstein's arrest, WPTV is taking an in-depth look at one of Palm Beach's most disturbing chapters.
WATCH THE FULL DOCUMENTARY BELOW:
Our team of journalists is examining the warning signs of grooming, connecting with survivors who are still living with the impact of Epstein's crimes, and digging into a case that advocates say exposed deep failures in the justice system.
Survivors describe the fear and shame they still carry decades later, while an attorney and therapist who worked with survivors reflect on what went wrong — and the changes still needed today.
TIMELINE
HOW WE GOT HERE
Palm Beach has long been synonymous with wealth, exclusivity, and privacy, but for dozens of survivors of Jeffrey Epstein's abuse, the island's manicured hedges and pristine streets conceal a darker history — one they say the justice system failed to fully reckon with.
"When I drive over that bridge, it's a whole new world," said Holly Baltz, a former investigative reporter for the Palm Beach Post. "They have an expectation of privacy, certainly. You know, and with their money, they can afford to buy that.”
Attorney Spencer Kuvin, who represented some of Epstein's earliest accusers, described the island's dual legacy in stark terms.
"I think Palm Beach will forever be known as two things," Kuvin said. "It'll be known as the home of Jeffrey Epstein and the home of the president."
THE CHARGES, THE DEAL AND THE FALLOUT
In the very early stages of Epstein’s investigation, at least 40 victims in the state of Florida gave statements regarding their abuse. However, Kuvin said the legal outcome sent a devastating message to the young women who came forward.
"These young girls are now adults, and they learned at a very early age that the system does not protect children," Kuvin said.
"My client was one of the original complainants," Kuvin said. "She was victim one."
Epstein pleaded guilty in open court in June 2008, and the charges he faced were far less severe than what Palm Beach police had recommended.
Randee Kogan worked with Palm Beach County Victim Services as a licensed therapist around 2007 and 2008. That’s when she first met and worked with Epstein’s accusers.
"When I worked with the girls back then, I wish I could explain to you what their faces looked like," Kogan said. "How sad. How scared. They were so afraid they were in trouble regardless of being sexually abused and manipulated."
Kogan said 40 victims gave their statements, but they weren’t believed.
"Unfortunately, what happened is they lessened the charges to child prostitution and because of that the public started questioning the validity of the victims' stories."
Baltz has covered Epstein’s case extensively since 2008 and was part of the Palm Beach Post's successful legal effort to obtain transcripts from his grand jury proceedings following his 2006 arrest. Baltz said the prosecutor's conduct toward the survivors compounded the injustice.
"The prosecutor in charge of the proceedings treated them like criminals," Baltz said. "In fact, asked them if they knew they were criminals."
The resulting plea agreement drew widespread criticism.
"It was a sweetheart deal, you know," Baltz said. "He got to not only plead guilty to charges that only put him behind bars or were supposed to put him behind bars for 18 months, as opposed to if they'd launched the charges that the Palm Beach police recommended — would have been decades behind bars, he probably would have died behind bars. But he also got four of his co-conspirators,named co-conspirators, given immunity."
Baltz said her confidence in the legal system has been shaken by how the case unfolded.
"I have a lot of faith in our justice system, but that's been eroded," Baltz said. "The number of times that survivors have been denied justice is just mind-boggling."
EPSTEIN'S DEATH & UNANSWERED QUESTIONS
Epstein died by suicide in his jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on the federal sex trafficking charges. Kuvin said the circumstances surrounding his death remain difficult to accept.
"This is one of the most secure prisons in the United States," Kuvin said. "This is where we held one of the first World Trade Center bombers. The fact he was allowed to die there is very unbelievable, at the least."
For survivors, his death meant the possibility of full accountability died with him. As of July 2026, Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein's longtime associate, is the only person serving prison time in connection to this decades-long investigation.
MAXWELL'S ROLE
In July 2020, Maxwell was arrested by federal authorities and convicted on sex trafficking-related charges. Kuvin said her role in Epstein's crimes was central.
"Without Ghislaine Maxwell, there would have never been a Jeffrey Epstein," Kuvin said. "She was bringing victims to the slaughter, so to speak."
Kogan said Maxwell's recruitment of victims was deliberate and wide-ranging.
"Ghislaine Maxwell recruited girls," Kogan said. "She went to massage schools. She went to parks. She stood outside of high schools."
When asked whether people believed the survivors at the time, Kogan paused before responding.
"They didn't know what to believe," Kogan said.
Two decades later, Kogan, survivors and advocates share the same message—accountability is far from over.
IN HER OWN WORDS
With undeniable hesitation in her voice, a local Epstein survivor faintly responded “yes” when asked by WPTV morning anchor Ashley Glass if their conversation was the first time she’d fully opened up to a stranger about abuse she suffered as a young girl.
The survivor has chosen not to show her face.
"I still have a lot of fear,” she said. "People taking my story, twisting it and using it to further themselves. I'm speaking now because of the young girls in my life and all the young girls out there. I want to give them as much knowledge as I can.”
The survivor is now 40 years old, yet only 16 when she first met Epstein and described herself as a normal kid.
"I was active. I was a cheerleader. I loved being outdoors, hanging out with my friends,” she said.
She was introduced to Epstein by a male friend.
"It was, I have a friend who will give money if you go in and give a massage,” she said. "We drove to his house on Palm Beach. I just remember the doors to the back open, breeze coming through. It was very welcoming. Everybody was very friendly.”
She further recalled to Glass her first encounter with Epstein.
"He came in. I think he was in a towel,” she said. "I think he sensed I was nervous, and he reassured me and everything was light, like no big deal.”
The survivor reflected on Epstein showing what appeared to be genuine interest in her life and future from day one.
“He was grooming me,” she said.
She recalls being abused by Epstein countless times over 18 months.
"The people that say, ‘Oh I was 16. I would've known better. ’You're probably one of the ones it would have happened to,” she said. "I think that they're not understanding what grooming is.”
“Jeffrey Epstein wrote the book on grooming,” trauma therapist Randee Kogan said. She’s worked with 20 Epstein survivors over the years.
“His goal was to learn about each girl, learn about their goals, their dreams, their families so [he] can find a way to make them feel special,” Kogan said.
Glass inquired of the survivor during their one-on-one conversation: "Did he make you feel important?”
"He did by what appeared to be genuine interest,” she answered. "Asked how I'm doing in school. Am I staying on track to go to college and doing well. He said, you're going to do great things. It was all lies.”
"He wrote college reference letters for an individual. He promised another girl that she wanted to be a model, well, he's got connections in Paris,” Kogan said. "And then to further the relationship, why don't you bring your friends. Bring your friends. Let them be part of it. And you'll get more money.”
Glass asked Kogan where the public is getting it wrong.
"That they knew what they were doing and that they kept going back because of money,” she responded. “When you think about it, they didn't know they were being manipulated.”
"We're so focused on what did these victims do rather than what did Jeffrey Epstein do. How much did he have to manipulate each of these girls to have them come back,” Kogan said.
The survivor said feelings of guilt and shame are some of worst lasting impacts.
"That's why I feel like people need to know about grooming,” she said.
Glass asked if the survivor has any thoughts, any words for her16-year-old-self.
“My gosh,” she answered with tears flowing and trouble getting the words out. “It’s not your fault.”
FAILED BY THE JUSTICE SYSTEM
Maria Farmer appeared in a video before a panel of House Democrats inside a packed County Commission chamber in West Palm Beach.
She was unable to testify in person due to ongoing health problems, including Hodgkin's lymphoma and a brain tumor.
“That’s the result of 30 years of fighting,” Farmer said. “The FBI’s decades of failure and inaction led to countless more girls and young women suffering abuse and trauma that could have been prevented.”
It was May 12, 2026, 30 years after Farmer first reported her abuse by Epstein and co-conspirators to local law enforcement in New York and the FBI.
Farmer was one of five Epstein survivors who addressed Democrats on the House Oversight Committee during their field hearing in West Palm Beach. The brother and sister-in-law of Virginia Giuffre also spoke to the panel. Giuffre had been outspoken about her trauma as a survivor of Epstein’s abuse before her death by suicide in April 2025.
The survivors spoke about the abuse they suffered as teenage girls and how Epstein manipulated them, to keep them under his control. Some had never spoken publicly about their abuse.
The group of survivors described the trauma they experienced after the U.S. Department of Justice released millions of files from the FBI’s investigation into Epstein in November and January.
"I kept my identity protected as Jane Doe. I woke up one day with my name mentioned over 500 times. While the rich and powerful remain protected by redaction, my name was exposed to the world," said one survivor, identifying herself only by her first name, Roza. “I cannot live without looking over my shoulder.”
"These documents hold disturbing, and yet incomplete, accounts of my abuse," said Dani Bensky, another survivor. “And they were viewable, not only by the entire world, but by my child, my students, my students parents, my friends, my employers..."
Roza said the releasing of her name, coupled with the redaction of potential Epstein co-conspirators or witnesses in the files, “is not a mistake. It's a choice.”
“The passage of the Epstein Files Transparency Act was a moment in which survivors hoped and believed that we might see some reckoning,” Bensky testified. “But the system, yet again, failed survivors."
Lawmakers in the hearing expressed support for the survivors, along with their desire to continue pressing the Department of Justice (DOJ) for answers.
"The DOJ continues to withhold half," said Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA), the committee’s ranking member who presided over the hearing. “Half the Epstein files have not been released to the public."
At a news conference after the hearing, the lawmakers vowed to launch an investigation and subpoena key officials who oversaw the Epstein case and the release of the files if Democrats re-claim the majority in the House in 2028.
At one point during the hearing, Rep. Melanie Stansbury (D-NM) asked the survivors what justice would look like for them.
“I appreciate you asking that question, but I don’t know. That’s your job. You guys have to figure out how to make justice. Not me. You can’t give me justice,” Roza replied.
ASHLEY’S SURVIVOR STORY
“We were just normal teenagers,” a local woman named Ashley recalled of her upbringing, but the normalcy turned to terror once she crossed paths with Jeffrey Epstein.
“I’ve just started the healing process,” Ashley said.
At the age of 15, Ashley said a co-worker first introduced her to Epstein, claiming she could make $200 by giving a massage to someone on Palm Beach.
“I thought, what’s the worst that could happen,” Ashley recalled.
"I remember my eyes hurt because it was so white, and I didn't have sunglasses on. The sunlight was reflecting on the whole outside of the house,” she described of her first of two visits to Epstein’s Palm Beach mansion. “He was in the shower, and there was a massage table in the middle of his bathroom.”
Ashley claimed she was abused during that first meeting.
"It didn't take long after he flipped over for things to escalate but at that point, what am I supposed to do? I was just frozen and waiting for it to be over,” Ashley said. "I felt a lot of disgust and fear and confusion, like what just happened.”
Ashley said she returned to the mansion only one other time, having convinced herself the first encounter was a fluke.
"It escalated a lot the second time,” she said. "There was some small talk as he was in between instructions. You know, how have you been? You know, pick one of these. You know, how is your family? Do you know how to use it? But once things really got started, there was no more anything and he was much more demanding.”
“Were you terrified?” Glass asked during their one-on-one interview.
“Yeah,” she responded.“At that point, I knew it was wrong the first time, that it wasn't a fluke, and I just wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible.”
Ashley believes Epstein preyed on young girls in vulnerable situations at home.
"My personal life was hard at times, and I think if it wasn't, I wouldn't have ended up there,” she said.
"I remember I became very withdrawn and very angry, and I would just be mean to people at my school for no reason,” Ashley described of the immediate impacts of the abuse she suffered as a teen. "I got put on academic probation from the cheerleading squad, started really hanging out with the wrong people, and I ended up pregnant when I was 17, which probably saved me.”
"People need to understand that there are severe long-term impacts to grooming and sexual abuse,”said trauma therapist Randee Kogan. “Making excuses. Low self-esteem. Anger at themselves. Another major theme—self-blame.”
"Some people are having relationship problems. Family problems. Parenting,” Kogan said of long-term impacts. “They are trying so hard to settle down in their lives while they're seeing pictures of their abuser everywhere every day.”
"I'm here to say it is not their fault. How can we blame a 14-year-old girl for her actions with an adult, wealthy powerful man who knew exactly what he was doing,” Kogan boldly proclaimed.
"I'm just starting to really learn what impacts it's had on me,” Ashley said. "For a long time, I did try to erase it. I wanted to pretend this didn't happen. I got to a point where I couldn't ignore it anymore and push it away and I had to just start dealing with it. Talking about it. Fighting about it."
UNDERSTANDING HUMAN TRAFFICKING
As an increasing number of survivors of Epstein’s abuse come forward, their stories fit the textbook definition of human trafficking.
“Human trafficking is essentially where people are being forced to do something they wouldn't normally do-- whether it be sex, engage in commercial sex acts or being forced to work," said Laura Cusack, the director of programs for the Human Trafficking Coalition of the Palm Beaches. “And you have elements that are present: force, fraud and coercion that traffickers will utilize to get someone into the situation [and] keep them in there.”
Cusack said there was less public awareness of human trafficking and what it looked like during the 1990s and 2000s, when many survivors said they were abused by Epstein.
“That lack of awareness really affected everything from identification to service delivery to just believing the victims in the first place,” Cusack said. “We hear even from some of the survivors, about being told that, 'You'll be arrested.’ I mean, a prostitute is seen as a criminal, right?”
Law enforcement documents from the early days of the investigation show Epstein’s accusers being told by authorities – and acknowledging – that they could be charged with crimes related to prostitution.
Over the past two decades, law enforcement has changed its approach to investigating human trafficking cases.
"Now we have task forces and coalitions established," Cusack said. “FBI, [Homeland Security Investigations], local law enforcement -- all working together in the same location to work these cases. And that has improved communication and response to victims."
Still, roughly two decades after their abuse, many Epstein survivors remain skeptical of the system that failed them as teenagers.
"Do I feel like victims today moving forward have better systems in place? No. I don't. I don't at all,” said one survivor who spoke to WPTV on the condition that we not share her name. “Because I feel like people don't understand and they're asking the wrong questions."
BELIEVE THEM
Survivors of Epstein's abuse and advocates who have stood by them for decades are boldly calling on everyone to believe victims first, in hopes of ridding this tragic story of victim-blaming once and for all.
“Believe what the survivors are telling you,” trauma therapist Randee Kogan said. “Believe them. It took so much for each survivor to speak out and tell their story in public.”
“They don’t need to be pointing the finger-Ah ha, you were 17. You should have never gone. You had a gut instinct,” an unnamed survivor told Glass in an exclusive interview. “That needs to go away, the victim shaming, the victim blaming.”
That call to believe survivors is echoed by attorney Spencer Kuvin, who’s represented multiple Epstein survivors. He reflected on the early days of the Epstein case and some of the first survivor stories he heard.
"Even hearing the facts of the case, it just seemed incredible to me. It didn't make sense,” Kuvin said. "We didn't believe it."
"Over the years, looking at these cases, a lot of what I have learned is you have to believe victims first,” Kuvin added.
YOU ARE NOT ALONE
Both survivors WPTV listened to expressed much gratitude for the opportunity to share their stories about abuse they suffered at the hand of Epstein as children.
The women passed along their final thoughts in hand-written notes…
From our unnamed survivor:
Your time and willingness to hear difficult truths matter. The best way to honor stories like ours is to stay informed and trust your gut. I hope hearing what we went through helps you recognize the warning signs of grooming and feel empowered to protect yourself and those around you. If my story can help even one person,then sharing it has purpose.
Thank you!
From survivor Ashley:
To you,
First I want to say, no matter what - no matter how you feel or who is around you - you are so important! Life can feel so lonely and hard, but there is someone who wants to listen to your story.
If you have ever been in a situation like mine, I’m here - we all are - you are not alone. We can and will do what is in our power to help you. It’s scary - we know, but telling someone who can do something about it is a first step in reclaiming the power your abuser stole from you.
We are trying so hard to make sure these evil people DO NOT get away with these crimes. You are not alone!
From,
Me
Resources
The Inner Truth Project of Port St.Lucie
Human Trafficking Coalition of the Palm Beaches
Palm Beach County Victim Services Hotline
HELPLINE: (561) 833-7273
TOLL FREE: (866) 891-7273
National Human Trafficking Hotline: 1-888-373-7888
