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#MeToo Set Stage for Re-Prosecution of US Multimillionaire Epstein

Masood Farivar

   This week's indictment of American multimillionaire Jeffrey Epstein on
   sex trafficking charges shows how public and political pressure fueled
   by the #MeToo movement is prompting prosecutors to take a closer look
   at sexual assault cases that most likely would have fallen by the
   wayside just a few years ago.

   In 2007, Epstein, then a jet-setting money manager for the wealthy who
   counted Donald Trump and Bill Clinton among his friends, avoided
   charges for alleged sexual crimes involving minors that, upon
   conviction, could have put him behind bars for decades.

   At the time, Epstein stood accused of sexually abusing dozens of
   underage girls at his Florida and New York homes. Then the U.S.
   attorney's office in Florida offered Epstein a secret deal allowing him
   to walk free after a little over a year in prison. The office was
   headed by Alexander Acosta, who currently serves as President Donald
   Trump's labor secretary. Acosta announced his resignation Friday over
   his handling of Epstein's case.

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