04 January 2024 , 16:02
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One of Jeffrey Epstein's victims, Johanna Sjoberg, was allegedly asked if she was aware that "girls were getting paid to find other girls" during a dinner at one of the billionaire paedophile's homes.
Documents from a previously-sealed 2015 civil lawsuit filed against Epstein's accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell have been released today and include court transcripts of the disgraced mogul's accusers as well as the names of high-profile figures associated with the child abuser. Within the 943 pages of papers are whistleblower Ms Sjoberg's multiple accusations of sexual misbehaviour against Epstein.
In her May 2016 deposition, Ms Sjoberg said she met American magician David Copperfield, who is known to be the most commercially successful magician in history. The Hollywood star was said to be performing at one of Epstein's many homes - though Ms Sjoberg did not specify which one or when - and he allegedly issued a warning to the young girl about the workings of the financier's sex-trafficking ring.
Magician David Copperfield allegedly told Jeffrey Epstein's victim Johanna Sjoberg that 'girls were getting paid to find other girls' (Getty Images)
In the bombshell documents, Johanna Sjoberg also claims Prince Andrew groped her and Epstein told her Bill Clinton 'likes them young' (Splash News)British socialite Maxwell was convicted in December 2021 of recruiting and grooming underage girls for Epstein to abuse over a decade. The 62-year-old is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence. The newly-released document, with information from her trial, states: "David Copperfield was at a dinner at Epstein's and there was another girl present who looked young and Johanna asked what school she went to and Johanna did not recognise the school name as being a college and she said it was possible it was a high school aged girl."
Ms Sjoberg explained in court: "Someone called me from the house and said that he [Copperfield] would be there, and if I wanted to come have dinner, then I could meet him." She said the entertainer was not at the house when she arrived, so she waited with another young girl who she had not met before. "I asked her what school she went to, kind of prodding to see if she went to one of the area colleges, and I did not recognise the name of the school," she said.
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She continued: "So I thought she could be younger than college age, but I had to assume for my own sanity that she was a daughter of one of his friends." Ms Sjoberg explained that Copperfield performed magic tricks at the dinner and she observed him to be a friend of Epstein.
Of her conversation with the illusionist, Ms Sjoberg said: "He questioned me if I was aware that girls were getting paid to find other girls." She said Copperfield wasn't specific about what he meant. There is no suggestion Copperfield knew about Epstein's crimes or participated in any criminal behaviour.
Ms Sjoberg also testified that, although she never met former US President Bill Clinton, Epstein once remarked to her "Clinton likes them young". A spokesperson told CBS News it's been nearly 20 years since Clinton last had contact with Epstein and referred to his 2019 statement denying the former president had any knowledge of Epstein's "terrible crimes". Clinton has previously said through a spokesperson that while he travelled on Epstein's jet several times, he never visited his homes.
Among her claims, Ms Sjoberg alleged Prince Andrew touched her breast as they posed for a photo at Epstein's Manhattan townhouse. In her testimony, she said she and one of Epstein's other victims, Virginia Giuffre, had flown with Epstein to New York in April 2001 on his private jet and met Maxwell and the Duke there.
She detailed that Maxwell had called her to an upstairs closet where they pulled out a puppet of Andrew that had been made for a television programme. She said: "It looked like him. And she brought it down and presented it to him, and that was a great joke because apparently it was a production from a show on BBC. They decided to take a picture with it, in which Virginia and Andrew sat on a couch. They put the puppet on Virginia's lap, and I sat on Andrew's lap, and they put the puppet's hand on Virginia's breast, and Andrew put his hand on my breast, and they took a photo."
Sjoberg had an option to bring a civil claim against Andrew but never took that course. Andrew has strenuously denied all allegations and Buckingham Palace previously said they are "categorically untrue". Epstein, 66, took his own life in jail in 2019 as he awaited trial on sex trafficking charges.