Epstein Survivors Sue Estate Over Thousands of Child Sexual Abuse Images

Two women whose images as girls were found in material seized from Jeffrey Epstein have filed a proposed class action seeking at least $6 million from his estate for more than 40 people allegedly depicted in thousands of pictures and videos of child sexual abuse.

Filed Wednesday in Manhattan federal court, the lawsuit targets Darren Indyke and Richard Kahn, Epstein’s former lawyer and accountant who serve as co-executors of his estate. The plaintiffs are seeking $150,000 for each qualifying class member, along with additional damages and a process to identify and notify other people depicted in Epstein’s collection.

Federal investigators recovered part of the material during a 2019 search of Epstein’s Manhattan townhouse, according to the complaint. It allegedly included his so-called “modeling book,” a collection of sexualized images of children, as well as more than 10,000 downloaded videos and images of child sexual abuse material seized from his properties.

One plaintiff, identified as Jane Doe, alleges Epstein stole partially nude photographs taken of her when she was 12. The photographs were taken by an artist when Doe was 12, then cataloged and kept in a lockbox, according to the complaint.

Doe claims Epstein obtained the photographs and kept them for sexual purposes. Images of another girl were allegedly taken from the same collection.

A second plaintiff, identified as “Amy,” appears in what the lawsuit describes as widely circulated child sexual abuse material dating to the late 1990s. Her images remain in circulation and have repeatedly been found in illegal collections, according to the filing.

Photo Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation/U.S. Department of Justice

The case also reaches beyond people who were personally recruited or abused by Epstein. Attorneys contend some victims may have had no direct contact with him and may still be unaware that images of them were allegedly collected, possessed, or distributed by Epstein.

Plaintiffs estimate that more than 40 potential class members could be identified through records held by the estate, federal authorities, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The lawsuit also seeks preservation of records connected to the collection and a notification program for people whose images are identified.

The claims rely in part on a federal civil remedy commonly known as Masha’s Law. It allows victims of certain child exploitation crimes to recover actual damages or $150,000 in liquidated damages, along with attorneys’ fees and litigation costs.

That provision could allow qualifying class members to pursue damages based on the exploitation of their images even if they were never recruited into Epstein’s trafficking operation. At $150,000 for 40 people, the statutory damages sought would total at least $6 million, before any additional relief awarded by the court.

Epstein was convicted in Florida in 2008 of soliciting prostitution from a minor and was charged in 2019 with sex trafficking minors. He died in a Manhattan jail while awaiting trial.

The lawsuit now seeks to extend compensation efforts to another group of alleged victims tied to Epstein’s conduct: people depicted as children in material he allegedly collected. The court must determine whether the case can proceed as a class action and which alleged victims qualify for relief.