Prince Andrew was used as bait by paedophile Jeffrey Epstein in an attempt to lure a 15-year-old girl to his Caribbean island, it has been claimed.
A representative of Epstein is alleged to have offered the 15-year-old girl the opportunity to meet Prince Andrew as a way to get her to visit Little St James, owned by the American financier from 1998 until his death in August.
The woman, who refers to herself as Jane Doe 15, claims she had been sexually assaulted at Epstein’s Zorro ranch compound in New Mexico in 2004 before the attempt to lure her to the Caribbean.
Prince Andrew leaving a lunch meeting at Harry’s Bar Members Club (left). Jane Doe 15 describes being subjected to a ‘vicious, prolonged sexual assault’ by Epstein (right)
Epstein’s team began grooming and manipulating the 15-year-old when she was on a school trip to New York with her drama club, according to Jane Doe 15s complaint which was filed in November to New York’s southern district court.
She was taken to Epstein’s Manhattan townhouse by one of his assistants where she was later given an iPod and photographed, claims made in court documents said.
Two weeks after this meeting she describes being subjected to a ‘vicious, prolonged sexual assault’.
It also comes after Jeffrey Epstein died while in custody in the US. An official autopsy ruled his death a suicide, despite others pointing to evidence of homicide
In a statement she claimed Epstein raped her in front of a wall of photographs of him shaking hands with world leaders and celebrities.
The 15-year-old was then offered by Epstein’s representative to visit his Caribbean island which she declined ‘out of fear’ and did not meet Andrew or see the billionaire sex offender again, according to The Sunday Times.
These allegations were set out in a letter sent to Prince Andrew by Jane Doe 15’s lawyer, Gloria Allred, last week.
Prince Andrew was spotted riding in Windsor on Saturday. The allegations were set out in a letter sent to Prince Andrew by Jane Doe 15’s lawyer, Gloria Allred, last week
The letter by Allred to Andrew stated that Epstein presented connections with ‘the world’s most powerful people’.
It said: ‘Your prestige and reputation were directly touted in his attempts to engage in further harm.’
Allred, who is representing five of Epstein’s victims, urged the prince to provide ‘sworn testimony’ to the FBI in order to help the victims of Epstein ‘find peace’ and for the ‘interests of serving justice’.
It comes after Andrew was under pressure to talk to US investigators after the BBC Newsnight interview with Emily Maitlis over his links to the sex offender.
Andrew was under pressure to talk to US investigators after the BBC Newsnight interview with Emily Maitlis over his links to the sex offender
In the interview, he claimed to have no memory of a photo apparently showing the pair at Ghislane’s house ever being taken, and suggested it had been faked.
He also suggested that her memory of him ‘sweating’ was inaccurate because his experiences in the Falklands meant he suffered from a rare condition which left him unable to sweat.
On Wednesday, Virginia Roberts, who now goes by the surname Giuffre, posted a chilling message on Twitter announcing ‘I am not suicidal’ after giving a high-profile interview accusing powerful figures including Prince Andrew of sexually abusing her.
Virginia Roberts – who now uses the surname Giuffre – has posted a chilling message on Twitter saying that she is ‘in no way, shape or form suicidal’
Andrew was pictured alongside Virginia Roberts at Ghislaine Maxwell’s house in London in March 2001. He claims to have no memory of the photo being taken and suggested it is fake
The 36-year-old, who claims she was a sex trafficking victim of paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, wrote: ‘If something happens to me – in the sake of my family do not let this go away and help me to protect them. Too many evil people want to see me quieted.’
Ms Roberts posted the message in response to another user who suggested the FBI would try to kill her ‘to protect the ultra rich and well connected’.
It comes after Epstein died in custody in the US while awaiting trial. An official autopsy concluded he hanged himself, despite persistent conspiracies and claims by high-profile pathologist Michael Baden that the evidence ‘points to homicide’.
The 36-year-old gave a high-profile interview to the BBC, recounting abuse she claims to have suffered at the hands of powerful figures including Prince Andrew
Ms Roberts gave an emotional interview to the BBC recently about the abuse she claims she suffered at the hands of Epstein and Prince Andrew.
She claims the prince abused her three times – once at Epstein’s New York apartment, once on a yacht in the Caribbean, and once at the London home of Ghislane Maxwell, Epstein’s alleged madam.
Speaking about her first alleged encounter with Andrew in London, she said she was taken to Tramp nightclub where she recalls dancing with the ‘sweating’ prince.
After leaving the nightclub, Giuffre said: ‘In the car Ghislaine tells me that I have to do for Andrew what I do for Jeffrey.
‘And that made me sick. I didn’t expect it from royalty.
‘I didn’t expect it from someone that people look up to and admire – the royal family.’
Giving her account of what happened at Ghislane’s house, she added: ‘There was a bath and it started there and it led into the bedroom.
‘It didn’t last very long, the whole entire procedure. It was disgusting.
‘He wasn’t mean or anything. But he got up and said thanks and walked out.
In response to Giuffre’s BBC interview, a Buckingham Palace spokesman said the Duke ‘unequivocally regrets his ill-judged association with Jeffrey Epstein’ and ‘deeply sympathises with those affected who want some form of closure’.
They said ‘it is emphatically denied that The Duke of York had any form of sexual contact or relationship with Virginia Roberts. Any claim to the contrary is false and without foundation’.
The palace has also stated that any suggestion of impropriety with underage minors by the duke was ‘categorically untrue’.
He was widely criticised for failing to show remorse for his association with the disgraced financier or empathy with Epstein’s victims during his television appearance.
He has resigned from a large number of patronages and seen organisations he was once involved with sever ties.
Miss Roberts claimed in court papers in Florida that she was forced to have sex with Andrew when she was aged 17, below the state’s age of consent.
However, that allegation was struck out by a judge in 2015 for being ‘immaterial and impertinent’.