US officials heavily redacted the images and stressed that appearance in the archive does not imply wrongdoing
Thousands of records released by the US Justice Department provide a detailed and often unsettling look at materials gathered during federal investigations into late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The trove includes photographs, call logs, interview transcripts, grand jury material, travel records, and internal investigative documents. Many files are heavily redacted, and some had already been made public through court proceedings, freedom-of-information requests, or earlier congressional disclosures.
A significant portion of the release consists of images taken from Epstein’s homes and properties. One set of photos appears to document an FBI search of Epstein’s Manhattan residence. Other folders contain photographs from a beachside property, presumed to be Epstein’s Little Saint James island.
READ MORE: DOJ releases thousands of Epstein records
The files include numerous sexually explicit or suggestive images, such as photographs of massage tables, sex toys, topless or nude women, and framed pictures displayed inside Epstein’s residences.
In most cases, thick black bars obscure faces and identifying details to comply with legal requirements protecting potential victims and private individuals.
One file alone contains dozens of censored images of naked women, with no context provided regarding when or where the photos were taken. A footnote noted that 33 images of underage girls were not scanned because investigators believed they contained child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
Multiple high-profile figures appear in the images, which were released without dates or explanatory background. Many photos feature former US President Bill Clinton, who was close to Epstein in the 1990s and early 2000s but has said he was unaware of Epstein’s crimes.
Several photographs show Clinton in a swimming pool or hot tub, alongside Epstein’s convicted associate Ghislaine Maxwell and another individual whose identity is redacted.
Other images feature celebrities and prominent figures including Michael Jackson, Richard Branson, Diana Ross, Chris Tucker, and others, often at dinners, parties, or during travel.
One photograph appears to show Prince Andrew lying across five people whose faces are fully redacted, while Maxwell stands behind them. Andrew, who has faced years of scrutiny over his friendship with Epstein and was stripped of his royal status this year, has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.
Authorities emphasized that the images were released without context and that there is no suggestion of criminal behavior linked to Epstein’s abuse in relation to those pictured. The Justice Department said records tied to active investigations or containing child sexual abuse material remain withheld, as permitted by law.
