:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/KHBX4KIHWOWAQYK6ZJNSSASQRY.jpg)
A victim of Jeffrey Epstein claimed sex tapes were taken of the Britain’s prince Andrew, former US president Bill Clinton and billionaire businessman Richard Branson, court documents have disclosed.
Sarah Ransome, who gave a victim impact statement in advance of the sentencing of British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell for sex-trafficking, appeared to write communications claiming the three were filmed by the paedophile financier.
On behalf of Mr Branson, a Virgin Group spokeswoman said: “In a New Yorker report published in 2019, Ms Ransome admitted that she had ‘invented’ the tapes.
“We can confirm that Sarah Ransome’s claims are baseless and unfounded.”
:quality(70):focal(2155x1251:2165x1261)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/PRZOIDV4ZBH4RVECVBVVTJK7JQ.jpg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/37MPWD5NGCEJRYDAYCEDZFTGMM.jpg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/EL5GN53F2P5EFTMG2IYI3PRYRY.jpg)
:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/BC65ZNP7INKIT3FXSULO6KMUVQ.jpg)
The extracts were flagged by a firm representing Epstein’s lawyer, Alan Dershowitz, to demonstrate Ms Ransome “manifestly lacks credibility”.
Prince Andrew stepped down from public life after the furore over his friendship with Epstein, and paid millions to settle a civil sexual assault case with Virginia Giuffre, a woman he claimed never to have met.
He was cast out of the working monarchy and no longer uses his HRH style after Ms Giuffre, who was trafficked by Epstein, accused him of sexually assaulting her when she was 17.
Prince Andrew strenuously denies any wrongdoing.
A US judge ordered hundreds of documents to be unsealed as part of Ms Giuffre’s previously settled civil claim against Maxwell, which was filed in 2015.
Images were also released as part of the latest tranche of documents, including a resurfaced photo of former British Labour minister Lord Mandelson with Epstein on his private island, Little St James.
Other pictures, all taken on the island in 2006, included one of Maxwell with disgraced French model scout Jean Luc-Brunel and various girls posing for photos.
Addressing the claims about Prince Andrew and Mr Branson in the document released as part of another tranche published on Monday, Ms Ransome wrote: “When my friend had sexual intercourse with Clinton, Prince Andrew and Richard Branson, sex tapes were in fact filmed on each separate occasion by Jeffrey.”
In the letter from Emery Celli Brinckerhoff & Abady LLP to the court, the firm said: “[Ms Ransome’s] testimony was fabricated from whole cloth. Ms Ransome’s testimony also contains a slew of other incendiary claims concerning the sexual proclivities of Donald Trump, Bill Clinton and other prominent individuals.
“The emails are a necessary antidote to Ms Ransome’s deposition misstatements because they demonstrate she manifestly lacks credibility.”
Epstein was found dead in his cell at a federal jail in Manhattan, New York, in August 2019 while he awaited trial on sex-trafficking charges. The death was ruled a suicide.
Maxwell has been imprisoned since July 2020 despite attempts by her defence counsel to have her released on bail.
She was sentenced to 20 years in prison at the federal court in the Southern District of New York in June 2022.
The socialite indicated her desire to appeal shortly after her conviction, with her lawyers claiming victims had “faded, distorted and motivated memories”.
Her appeal is scheduled to be heard in November next year. – PA