Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson have been caught up in a sordid scandal involving their former close friend and business associate Jeffrey Epstein, who has just been arrested over teen sex-trafficking allegations. This follows shocking claims by one of Epstein’s alleged victims that she was required to have sex with the prince three times – something the royal strenuously denies.
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The American former hedge fund manager – also a friend and associate of Bill Clinton and President Donald Trump – was arrested on Saturday, with federal agents breaking down the door of his Manhattan townhouse.
Epstein has reportedly been accused of trafficking and molesting underage girls in Florida and New York.
The arrest has thrown a new spotlight on British royals Andrew and Fergie’s past ties with the accused sleaze.
One of Epstein’s accusers, Virginia Roberts Giuffre, alleged the businessman forced her to have sex with a number of his high-flying friends while she was under age, including, she says, Prince Andrew.
She says sex with the royal took place on three occasions: once in London, once in New York, and once on Epstein’s private Caribbean island, the latter during an ‘orgy with numerous other under-aged girls.’
Buckingham Palace has denied the claims, calling them ‘categorically untrue’ and denying ‘any form of sexual contact or relationship’ with Giuffre.
According to the Telegraph, flight logs confirm the Prince appeared to be present at the times and places Giuffre claims the sex occurred.
A court statement by Epstein’s former handyman alleges Andrew attended pool parties ‘full of adolescent girls’, and he was seen out with Epstein shortly after his last stint in prison.
It was very shortly after that encounter that Fergie accepted £15,000 from Epstein to help clear her debts.
Sarah publicly apologised for accepting the money, notably taking all the blame for the association.
‘I personally, on behalf of myself, deeply regret that Jeffrey Epstein became involved in any way with me,’ she told the Telegraph. ‘I abhor paedophilia and any sexual abuse of children and know that this was a gigantic error of judgment on my behalf.’
According to Britain’s The Mirror newspaper, some of Epstein’s powerful friends may be in for a shock, with allegations there may be images or video from hidden cameras catching them in the act with underage girls.
Epstein was jailed for 18 months in 2008 after pleading guilty to solicitation for prostitution.
