In a major development that underscores a catastrophic failure by federal authorities, newly released government documents have officially confirmed that artist Maria Farmer reported Jeffrey Epstein's crimes to the FBI in 1996. This validation comes nearly three decades after she first sought help, a delay that she says allowed the financier to harm countless others.
Official Records Validate Decades-Old Allegations
According to the recently published Justice Department files, which form part of an online "Epstein Library," a complaint from 1996 details Farmer's alarming report. While her name is redacted in the public documents, Farmer has confirmed the account is hers. The FBI record states that Farmer accused Epstein of stealing personal photographs of her underage sisters, who were 12 and 16 years old at the time.
The document chillingly notes that Epstein "stole the photos and negatives and is believed to have sold the pictures to potential buyers." It further reveals that "Epstein at one time requested to take pictures of young girls at swimming pools." In a direct threat, the file reads: "Epstein is now threatening [redacted] that if she tells anyone about the photos he will burn her house down."
A Bittersweet Victory for the Earliest Known Accuser
For Maria Farmer, seeing her account in official records has been profoundly emotional. "I feel redeemed," she told the BBC. Her lawyer, Jennifer Freeman, emphasized the significance, stating, "Maria Farmer reported Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell’s crimes in 1996. Had the government done their job, and properly investigated Maria’s report, over 1,000 victims could have been spared and 30 years of trauma avoided."
In a statement read on CNN, Farmer expressed mixed emotions: "Thank you for believing me. I feel redeemed. This is one of the best days of my life. Of course, it’s mixed with the fact that I’m devastated about all the other girls … who were harmed because the FBI didn’t do their job."
Frustration Amidst Vindication for Survivors
While the release offers vindication for Farmer and her sister Annie, who was 16 when abused by Epstein and Maxwell, it has sparked frustration among other survivors. Many found the Justice Department's online document portal difficult to navigate. Epstein survivor Jess Michaels told CNN she could not locate her own victim statement or records of her calls to the FBI tip line, asking, "Is this the best that the government can do?"
Annie Farmer, reacting emotionally to seeing the document, told CNN, "Just to see it in writing and to know that they had this document this entire time, and how many people were harmed after that date? ... To see it in black and white that way has been very emotional."
The partial document release has starkly highlighted the immense human cost of institutional inaction, confirming that a chance to stop one of America's most notorious predators was missed three decades ago.
