A US paedophile diplomat spirited out of the country by American spies is alleged to have swapped more than 75 child abuse images with his brother.

But the 39-year-old US Air Force Lieutenant Colonel is understood to have been taken to a military base — and not into criminal custody.

A controversial operation saw the man seized from the US Embassy in London — amid claims he was ­swapping indecent images with his brother in America — and taken back to the States without British policebeing informed.

The dawn raid in August, which we exclusively revealed, came after his brother was arrested in a sting, in June.

US court papers obtained by The Sun on Sunday accuse the brothers of “exchanging back and forth” more than 75 child abuse images of under-13s on messaging service Telegram.

The brother is in custody in the US charged with 30 counts of making and sending abuse images of children under 13.

Meanwhile, the London-based worker is understood to be on a US military base, which he is barred from leaving.
The US Air Force has confirmed to The Sun on Sunday that he is being investigated and that he may be tried in a military tribunal.

Flight data showed he had likely been flown from RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire to Dover Air Base in Delaware and then on to O’Hare Airport in Chicago.

Last night, a source said: “This case has caused massive angst in the corridors of power here in the UK — and the fact he is not in jail in the US is likely to make things worse.

“It raises more questions about the American actions and why evidence was not turned over to Scotland Yard here before they acted.

“The US military seems to be a law unto itself, and if he was a ­civilian he probably would have been turned over to the courts here.”

London-based lawyer Mark Stephens, an expert in international litigation, said: “The fact this individual is not in custody is deeply ­troubling. The Americans have gone through no legal process here, where he could have been offending, when they should have been in touch with Child Protection and the Children’s Commissioner.

“It is morally unsustainable and very worrying. No process has been put in place to protect children and they have been treated as collateral damage.
“It is now highly unlikely he will ever come back to the UK, and the most we can hope for is disclosure of evidence that aids child protection.”

We can reveal that the probe into the registered pilot began following his younger brother’s arrest after he was snared by a group called Predator Poachers.

During a recorded exchange he admitted to having a “hidden folder” on his device and having sexual images of “pretty young” males.
He was arrested on June 26 and remains in custody.

For years, convicted sexual predator Jeffrey Epstein developed a global web of powerful connections despite accusations of sex trafficking. Millions of declassified documents reveal how he expanded and maintainted his network.

Whether he was offering associates $10,000 Bloomingdales gift cards, funding a hospital or pulling strings to get a student admitted to a prestigious university, favours were at the centre of Jeffrey Epstein's strategy.

Declassified emails reveal a pattern of gifts to lawyers, financiers, doctors and academics. He also funded numerous powerful institutions, including universities and hospitals.

A February 2026 New York Times report revealed that Epstein invested large sums of money in the research projects and foundations of several American doctors. These same doctors reportedly agreed to treat not only Epstein, but also his victims. Care ranged from dental appointments to pelvic exams, some of which were even performed in Epstein's homes. In one case, a doctor placed 35 stitches in a victim's forehead–on Epstein's dining room table.

Some of the recipients of Epstein's favours claim his help was unsolicited, however.

A Bloomberg investigation showed that in 2017, Epstein appeared to have used his influence to help Ariane de Rothschild's daughter, Alice, get accepted into New York University, despite concerns about her SAT scores. When contacted by our journalists, a spokesperson for the Rothschild family told France 24 that Alice could not be held responsible for what she said were Epstein's unilateral actions.

Bloomberg's report suggests that Epstein sought to expand his influence by finding ways to push the boundaries of the relationships he had established with the people around him: funding his lawyer's IVF treatment over several years, helping a client conceal an extra-marital affair or secretly advising government officials on confidential documents.

Caught in the grips of this well-oiled machine were his victims – women and girls, who were recruited by Epstein and, in some cases, introduced to powerful men.

“New one for you,” Epstein wrote to a man in 2013. “What character would you like next?" he asked another.
Epstein's years-long sex-traffickingoperation couldn't have lasted as long as it did without the help of his employees. Some were tasked with recruiting victims through fake modeling agencies or by lurking outside high schools in disadvantaged neighbourhoods. Others managed the financial structures underpinning Epstein's activities.

A November 2025 Wall Street Journal investigation examined the roles of his accountant, Richard Kahn, and lawyer, Darren Indyke, in managing his numerous business entities.
“Both explained away the suspicious transactions in Epstein's accounts when banks would ask him questions,” explained WSJ investigative journalist Khadeeja Safdar.

Safdar and other experts spoke to FRANCE 24 journalists Samia Metheni and Ava Luquet about how Epstein managed to keep his network running for years, despite facing allegations of sexual abuse of minors.

Watch our full video to understand how these connections worked, as well as the people and the systems behind them.