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(„we teoCiall ;00.111191SIIPC“..e asked him to stop. CRIMINAL JUSTiCE Man accused of molesting girls Victims want secret deal with billionaire withdrawn by John Pacenti Lawyers for alleged sexual assauh victims ofbillionaire Jeffrey Epstein have filed a motion to get West Palm Beach federal prosecutors to withdraw a secret deal not to prosecute him. The filing comes as the former Palm Beach resident is making headlines in Great Britain for hobnobbing with Prince Edward, who got him clearance to land his private plane at a military base In 2000. Epstein served 13 months of an 18-month state prison sentence for so- liciting sex with a minor. As part of his deal to plead guilty to the state charge. the US. attorney's office agreed in 2007 not to prosecute Epstein on fed- eral sex charges, accord- ing to court documents filed Monday in federal civil litigation. The motion is an at- tempt to kick start 2008 EnsteM litigation that's been on hold while other civil suits were resolved with confidential settlements on behalf of several underage girls who said they were sexually assaulted by Epstein. The motion filed with U.S. District Judge Kenneth Marra alleges prosecu- tom violated the Crime Victims Rights BILLIONAIRE JEFFREY EPSTEIN Age: Occupation: F financier Homes: Palm Beach, US. Virgin Islands. New York Record: Convicted of solicitation of a minor Sentence 13 months in prison Act for Lpsteufs alleged victims to be informed about the non prosecution agreement reached by federal prosecu- tors with Epstein. -Rather than confer with the victims about this nonprosexution agreement, however. the U.S. attorney's office and Jeffrey Epstein agreed to econfidential- ity' provision in the agreement barring its disclosure to anyone — including 'the tidbits," according to the pleading. The motion is pan of a lawsuit filed against the US. government In 2008 by attorney Bradley J. Edwards an partner with Farmer Jaffe Welasing Edwards Vistas & Loltrman, and University of Utah law professor Paul G. Cassell. They SEE EPSTEIN, PAGE Al 3 EFTA01086552 FROM PAGE A2 EPSTEIN: Billionaire has ties to England's royal family represent three alleged Epstein victims in civil actions that resulted in confklen- tial settlements. The motion cites redacted e-mails be- tween Epstein's attorney and the U.S. at- torney's office that indicate prosecutors were interested in reaching an agree- . meet that would "effectively keep the victims from learning what was happen- ing through the press: Edwards wrote in the motion. Cassell said it 'stinks to high heaven" for the Justice Department to be so bull- ish about prosecuting sex crimes, such as child pornography. and then to cut a 'sweetheart dear with Epstein. "it certainly raises the suspicion that money and power is a way to buy your way out of serious felony offenses, Cassell said. The motion asks Marra for a hearing to determine if the Crime Victims Rights Act was violated and to consider appropriate remedies. Cassell said his clients want the confiden- dal agreement to be nullified. The motion said Epstein mo- lested mora_than 30 girls from 2001 to 2007.While he had made Palm Beach his primary home for years, news reports now have him living in his Manhattan mansion. Epstein has not been able to avoid the spotlight since his release from jail in July 2009. ills criminal case was fictionalized in a scathing episode by the television show Law & Order Special Victims Unit in February. The episode ended with federal authorities intervening on be- half of the fictional assailant, who was portrayed as a billionaire who solicited underage girls for massages. Alicia Valle, spokeswoman for U.S. Casale AttorneyWdredoFerrer,saidpros- ecutors have made their position clear on the issue of the Crimes Victims Rights Act in Epstein's case. The law was not violated because no federal charges were over filed in the Southern District of Florida: Valle said. Joseph L. Ackernutn Jr.. Epstein's criminal defense attor- ney with Fowler White Burnett in West Palm Beach. did not return a call for comment by deadline. Cassell said Marra could be the first federal judge to rule on when the act ap- plies. "The government is taking the posi- tion that because it never filed an indict- ment, then the victims never had any rights. We strenuously disagree with that, and we hope to create good law on that subject.' Cassell said. Meanwhile, Epstein has caused an uproar for England's royal family. Prince Andrew secured permission for Epstein to land his private Jot on Dec. 7. 2000: at a military, base to visit the Duke of York at Sandringham Palace in Norfolk. Epstein is alleged to have used his private fleet of planes to fly in underage girls from around the world for sex. The Daily Mall reported Queen Elizabeth called a meeting with her son at Buckingham Palace to explain his re- lationship with Epstein. Sarah Ferguson. the former Duchess ofYork, also has been linked with Epstein. The Daily Mail reported flight logs show Epstein flew to the Bahamas in 1988 to meet Ferguson and her daughters, Beatrice and Eugenie, then ages 9 and 10. John Paeans' can be reacMd at (305) 347-6638. Check out dbr's status updates on facebook a Find us by searching Daily Business Review EFTA01086553