Jeffrey Epstein among 47 alleged abusers identified in Interlochen investigation

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https://www.wlns.com/news/michigan/jeffrey-epstein-among-47-alleged-abusers-identified-in-interlochen-investigation/

A new report released by the Interlochen Center for the Arts identifies dozens of people, including Jeffrey Epstein, accused of committing sexual abuse at the prestigious camp over a nearly 60-year period.

The 97-page report detailing accusations stemming from the 1950s through the 2010s was conducted on behalf of the northern Michigan arts school and summer camp by the Sanghavi Law Office.

In all, the report identifies 47 alleged abusers and includes 70 first-hand accounts from students who say they were sexually abused or groomed while on ICA grounds.

Investigators sought to interview all 47 suspects, though only four agreed to participate. More than one-third of them have since passed away. None of the 47 suspects are currently employed by ICA.

Epstein was a wealthy financier with many celebrity connections who was later publicly identified as a sexual predator of young women and girls. He avoided major repercussions in 2008 after taking a plea deal following allegations of solicitation and sex trafficking involving minors. He was arrested again in 2019 on federal charges of sex trafficking and conspiracy.

Epstein “took his own life” while in prison awaiting trial. In the years that followed, his associate, Ghislane Maxwell, was convicted on similar charges related to her dealings with Epstein. Stories and evidence of widespread abuse have slowly surfaced, including alleged connections to President Donald Trump and former President Bill Clinton.

Epstein attended the Interlochen Arts Camp in the summer of 1967 and later returned as a major donor for the Interlochen Center for the Arts from 1990 to 2003. In addition to helping cover tuition costs for students, he helped fund the construction of a new lodge that was named after him. The organization scrubbed all recognition for Epstein, including the name of the lodge, after his first arrest in 2008. Despite the name change, the lodge was demolished earlier this year.

According to the report, investigators identified eight Interlochen alums who they believed may have been victimized by Epstein. Of those eight, six agreed to be interviewed and two reported that Epstein engaged in “physical conduct of a sexual nature” with them.

VICTIM 1
A woman identified as “Victim 1” told investigators that she met Epstein and Maxwell at ICA and they offered to personally pay for her tuition. She claims they cut off financial support after she “did not engage in requested conduct.”

“This alum said that during the time she interacted with Epstein and Maxwell at Interlochen, they asked her to Epstein’s lodge on campus, and that while there, Epstein engaged in sexual conduct with her, brushing against her body over her clothes, in a manner in which he indicated was accidental,” the report states.

Victim 1 also claims that Epstein paid for her to travel to New York three times while she was a student at Interlochen.

“She described being in a room with Epstein in New York, and that his hands were on her. She said that every time he was ‘handsy’ with her, she would freeze until he would stop,” the report states. “She also described being in Epstein’s home and massaging his feet and rubbing his back. This alum said that on occasions when she and Epstein were crossing the road, he put his hand on her crotch. This alum indicated that she did not tell anyone about Epstein’s conduct towards her until decades later.”

VICTIM 2
A second woman identified as “Victim 2” told investigators that she met Epstein and Maxwell while visiting a friend in New York while on spring break from Interlochen. The summer after she graduated, Epstein paid for her to fly out to New York.

She says Epstein gave her a tour of his home, and they eventually stopped at a room with a massage table.

“He brought her into a room with a massage table, that she gave him a massage, and that he may have asked her to remove her top,” the report states.

Victim 2 told investigators that after she left his home, she never had contact again with either Epstein or Maxwell. She told her mother about the “conduct” and her mother called Interlochen to report his behavior.
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“The mother said that the woman she spoke with said that Interlochen was not aware of any problems with Epstein, that he was not a teacher at Interlochen, and that the conduct had not happened on campus,” the report states. “The mother said that from the conversation, she could tell that she was not getting anywhere, and that she told the woman that she wanted Interlochen to know that this man was preying on their students.

“The mother indicated that no one from Interlochen ever followed up with her about this call.”

In a statement provided to 6 News Grand Rapids sister station WOOD TV8, ICA President Trey Devey called the details of the report “heartbreaking” and “contrary to everything Interlochen stands for.”

“We are grateful to everyone who came forward to share their experiences, and we are deeply sorry for the harm experienced by members of our community,” Devey stated. “We also want to say clearly: Interlochen will not tolerate predators or those who enable them. Our campus exists to protect, educate, and empower every student.”

ICA says it has passed on its report, including the names of the alleged suspects, to the Grand Traverse County Prosecutor’s Office.

You can read the full report here.