Article #401
by Bill Nugent
The Epstein scandal is the worst sex scandal in world history.
People with close ties to Epstein, who are alleged to have been involved in sexual abuse of the hundreds of victims, consist of a wide range of rich and powerful people from around the world. The sexual abusers were unbelievers, secularists and other assorted non-Christians. The list includes high ranking politicians, at least one former US president, the former Prince Andrew, corporate executives, mega donors to political parties and hundreds of other rich and famous people.
Make no mistake, these famous, rich people didn’t fly on the “Lolita Express” (Epstein’s plane) to Epstein’s island for sand and palm trees. It was for sex tourism at a low and despicable level with frightened underage girls.
To be fair, there may have been a few tag-alongs and innocent bystanders who honestly didn’t know what was happening on the island but the majority were rich men doing evil things.
A Flood of Documentation
Recently the United States Justice Department released over 3 million Epstein documents, 2000 videos and more than 180,000 images with more to come. These have been posted on the Department of Justice website.
The documents consist of Epstein’s email archive plus documents from police investigations, FBI investigations and court records. Most of the videos and pictures were taken by cameras in Epstein’s properties.
It’s estimated that Epstein had over a thousand victims, mostly young girls, below the age of 18. The pictures, videos and documents show very powerful men and some women in very compromising situations.
A Disturbing Picture of the End-Time World
Why does it matter to us? The scandal is a picture of the world just before the second coming of Christ, as predicted in the Bible. We are seeing the fulfillment of Bible prophecy.
“This know also that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God, having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away……
Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth…….
But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived” (II Timothy 3:1-7, 13).
Epstein’s Humble Beginnings and Rise to Power
Jeffrey Edward Epstein (1953 – 2019) was born and raised in a middle class New York City non-Christian home. He showed great ability in mathematics and after college began his career as a math teacher in an upscale private high school in NYC. People at the school saw his many flirtations with underage girls.
Not long into his educational career, Epstein came to the attention of an influential man who referred him to a billionaire. Epstein went to work for the billionaire and showed brilliant talent in sorting out the man’s complex finances and investments. Epstein then went on to work for other mega rich people and soon was on his way, on the road to riches, to amass an immense fortune of his own.
He had cleverness and social networking skills to connect with wealthy and influential people. He partnered with billionaires in major deals. He had a storied career in investment banking and in venture capitalism.
Epstein’s Infamous Properties
In the late 1990s, Epstein and a partner purchased the famous Herbert Strauss House in the upper east side of Manhattan in NYC. It has nine floors of resplendent luxury. It was perhaps the most valuable residence in all of New York City. By 2011 Epstein was sole owner.
This was only one of Epstein’s properties. He had a Palm Beach Florida mansion which became the location of some of his sex crimes for which he was investigated and prosecuted in 2005-2006. There’s the Zorro Ranch in New Mexico and perhaps most infamously, Epstein Island, in the US Virgin Islands.
Epstein purchased the island called Little St. James in 1998. It has 75 beautiful acres and is located just south of the island of St. Thomas. It was previously owned by a billionaire who had built some luxurious structures on the island and Epstein added to that substantially.
Epstein flew people to his Island on his private jet called the “Lolita Express.” Epstein kept a log of his passengers. Epstein apparently kept exhaustive records of who visited his properties and what they did during their visits. He had photographic and video evidence. He had millions of emails of correspondence with guests who carelessly discussed some of their exploits.
I’ve seen a still frame from a torture video in which a young girl is tortured with a magnifying glass focusing sunlight onto her body and burning her. This is utterly repulsive. Epstein sent this video to a Saudi official. The Saudi replied in an email: “I enjoyed the torture video.”
Dozens of women have come forward and testified and offered evidence, during the various police and FBI investigations, of how they were exploited and abused when they were underaged girls.
The Law Catches Up With Epstein
Epstein’s legal troubles began in May of 2006 when the family of a 14 year-old girl approached the Palm Beach Police Department with allegations that she was molested at his Palm Beach mansion. Others stepped up. Charges were filed. It was a difficult case to prosecute because witnesses and victims were young and fearful.
Epstein was arrested in July of 2006. That same month the FBI stepped in with an investigation of sex trafficking which is a federal crime. Epstein could afford powerful defense attorneys. A deal was cut in which Epstein pleaded guilty to two minor charges and spend 18 months in jail. He had to register as a sex offender.
In May of 2009, Virginia Giuffre filed a lawsuit against Epstein with allegations implicating Prince Andrew of England and other powerful men.
Epstein was released from jail in July of 2009. Over the following years there was much sensational publicity in the media about the Epstein scandals.
In December of 2018 there was a new federal investigation of sex trafficking. In July of 2019 Epstein was arrested and jailed in New York City. On August 10th 2019 he is alleged to have committed suicide in jail. Many observers claim Epstein was murdered to keep him from testifying against the rich and powerful.
Ghislaine Maxwell
Epstein’s girlfriend and accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell, was charged with sex trafficking in July of 2020. In December of 2021 a jury convicted Ghislaine Maxwell of sex trafficking and other crimes. In June of 2022 she was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
In January of 2024 there was a media surge after a judge made some court records public. In April 2025 Virginia Giuffre tragically committed suicide. In October 2025 prince Andrew was stripped of his Royal titles and was evicted from his royal residence by his brother, King Charles III of England.
Powerful Men are Being Exposed
In November of 2025 the Epstein Files Transparency Act was passed by Congress. President Trump signed it the next day. In December of 2025 the US Department of Justice began releasing Epstein files and posting them on their website. The documents and images are redacted in order to protect the identity of victims. Many have alleged that the redactions go too far and actually constitute a cover-up of some of the perpetrators.
Some say that President Trump is implicated but I deem it unlikely because the Joe Biden Department of Justice had the files for years with plenty of time to dig for evidence against Trump. If Trump was an abuser, we’d probably know by now.
It’s likely that as investigators sort through files and remove some of the redactions; evidence against many rich perpetrators will see the light of day. Time will tell. Justice will be done.
In all, the Epstein scandal is a grim reminder of the corruption of the sinful nature of man which is fully revealed at the end of this age, just before the second coming of Jesus Christ.
“God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap (Galatians 6:7).
God “commands all men everywhere to repent” (Acts 17:30).
Our Creator Redeems Us
Everybody gets what they want. If you love and serve God in this life, you will be with God in the afterlife. If you choose to reject God in this life you will be separated from the goodness of God in the afterlife. Choose to be with God!
Our Creator is also our Redeemer. God, the Father, sent Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son, the Messiah of Israel, to suffer and die taking the penalty of our sins upon Himself. This is called substitutionary atonement. God the Father is the one who saves us through the atoning work of His Son by the power of the Holy Spirit.
The Old Testament prophets foretold that Christ would suffer and die for the sins of the people. “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6, written 700 years before the time of Christ).
The New Testament reveals that Jesus Christ died for our sins. Of Christ it is written: “He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed” (I Peter 2:24 NASB).
“To Him who loves us, and released us from our sins by His blood” (Revelation 1:5 NASB).
God has great love for all humanity. Christ rose from the dead to offer forgiveness of sins to all who turn to Him in repentance. I invite you to turn to Christ today to receive forgiveness of sins!
Steps to salvation:
Jesus said “You must be born again” (John 3:7).
1) Believe that God loves you and sent the Messiah (Messiah is Hebrew for Christ) to redeem you.
2) Believe that Jesus Christ came to die for you, to take upon Himself the penalty of your sins (Isaiah 53:5-6, John 6:29, Romans 4:5, First Peter 2:24 & 3:18).
3) Repent of your sins and call on Jesus Christ to ask for forgiveness of sins (Romans 10:13).
4) Receive Jesus as Savior and experience the new birth (John 1:12 & 3:3, Acts 2:38).
5) Follow Jesus Christ as Lord and be baptized (John 14:15, Acts 2:38).
Prayer to receive salvation:
To receive the salvation which Jesus purchased for us at the terrible cost of His suffering and death on our behalf I invite you to pray this simple prayer:
“Dear heavenly Father, I thank you for sending Jesus, the promised Messiah, to die for my sins. I admit that I’m a sinner. I repent of my sins and I ask you to forgive me on the basis of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I ask you to fill me with your Holy Spirit to empower me to serve you under the Lordship of Jesus Christ, Amen.”
If you prayed this prayer in the humble sincerity of your heart, then you have received everlasting life, which includes power to live right in this life and entrance into heaven in the afterlife!
William (Bill) Nugent, Overcomer Ministries of Fort Mill, South Carolina, USA
(C) 2026 William Nugent: permission granted to translate, email or republish for Christian outreach. <>{
Christian books, “Lawful or Legalistic” and “The Cross, Self-Denial and the Manifestation of the Sons of God” by Bill Nugent are available on Amazon.
Back issues of Defending the Faith are archived on our website at www.bnugent.org
Steps to salvation:
Jesus said “Ye must be born again” (John 3:7).
Prayer to receive salvation:
“Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13).
To receive the salvation that Jesus purchased for us at the terrible cost of His suffering and death on our behalf I invite you to pray this simple prayer:
“Dear heavenly Father, I thank you for sending Jesus, the promised Messiah, to die for my sins. I admit that I am a sinner. I repent of my sins and I ask for your forgiveness on the basis of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I ask you to fill me with your Holy Spirit to empower me to serve you under the Lordship of Jesus Christ, Amen.”
If you prayed this prayer in the humble sincerity of your heart then you have received everlasting life, which includes power to live right in this life and entrance into heaven in the afterlife!