Explainer: Why the President Is Under Pressure Over the Case

A perceived lack of transparency over the US investigations into the late notorious sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has carved a rare chasm between US President Donald Trump and his typically loyal Republican base.

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WASHINGTON —

As Mr. Trump struggles to quell his supporters' obsessions with the case — one long surrounded by conspiracy theories — AFP outlines its history and why it has caused so much outrage.

ORIGINS OF THE EPSTEIN CASE

Jeffrey Epstein, a wealthy American financier, was first charged with sex offenses in 2006 after the parents of a 14-year-old girl told police that he had molested their daughter at his Florida home.

He avoided federal charges, which could have seen him face life in prison, due to a controversial plea deal with prosecutors that saw him jailed for just under 13 months.

In July 2019, he was arrested again in New York and charged with trafficking dozens of teenage girls and engaging in sex acts with them in exchange for money.

Prosecutors said he worked with employees and associates to ensure a "steady supply of minor victims to abuse."

Epstein pleaded not guilty to the charges against him. On August 10, 2019, while he was in custody awaiting trial, the authorities said he was found dead in his prison cell after hanging himself.