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JEFFREY Epstein kept “meticulously detailed” diaries of his friendships which could come back to haunt his powerful pals, reports claim.

The billionaire paedo, who died from an apparent suicide on Saturday, was once friends with Prince Andrew, Bill Clinton and Donald Trump.

 The Queen put on a show of support for Prince Andrew earlier today after Epstein was found dead in prison
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The Queen put on a show of support for Prince Andrew earlier today after Epstein was found dead in prison
 Prince Andrew with Jeffrey Epstein in New York in 2011
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Prince Andrew with Jeffrey Epstein in New York in 2011Credit: Jae Donnelly

He is understood to have kept a secret diary detailing his friendships with the rich and famous as an “insurance policy”, according to the Mirror.

Former financier Epstein, 66, is believed to have killed himself in jail - days after being taken off suicide watch.

His death came hours after a Manhattan court released a 1,200-page dossier detailing lurid abuse allegations against him.

The explosive papers also named some of the world’s elite leaders and politicians.

They were unsealed in a legal tangle between Brit socialite Ghislaine Maxwell — Epstein’s ex-lover — and Virginia Giuffre.

Ms Giuffre has alleged that she was procured by “madame” Maxwell, 57, the daughter of disgraced tycoon Robert Maxwell, as a teenage “sex slave” for Epstein.

In previous court claims, she alleged she had sex Prince Andrew when she was a teen.

 Prince Andrew pictured with Virginia Roberts and Ghislaine Maxwell in the rear, in early 2001
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Prince Andrew pictured with Virginia Roberts and Ghislaine Maxwell in the rear, in early 2001Credit: Collect
 The New York Post's front page shows Epstein being wheeled into hospital after he was found unresponsive in his jail cell
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The New York Post's front page shows Epstein being wheeled into hospital after he was found unresponsive in his jail cellCredit: New York Post
 His death came hours after a Manhattan court released a 1,200-page dossier
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His death came hours after a Manhattan court released a 1,200-page dossierCredit: AP:Associated Press

US court papers also alleged the Duke of York touched a woman’s breast as she sat on his lap and played with a Spitting Image puppet of him.

Johanna Sjoberg alleged he touched her breast in 2001 at Epstein’s New York home, according to court papers.

In the documents Sjoberg said: “I just remember someone suggesting a photo, and they told us to go get on the couch. And so Andrew and Virginia sat on the couch, and they put the puppet, the puppet on her lap.

“And so then I sat on Andrew’s lap, and I believe on my own volition, and they took the puppet’s hands and put it on Virginia’s breast, and so Andrew put his on mine,” she said, saying it was done in a “joking manner”.

Buckingham Palace has strenuously denied the allegations.

“Any suggestion of impropriety with underage minors is categorically untrue,” a spokesman for Buckingham Palace said:

“It is emphatically denied that the Duke of York had any form of sexual contact or relationship with Virginia Roberts.

“Any claim to the contrary is false and without foundation.”

A court struck out the allegations against Prince Andrew in 2015.

Timeline of the allegations against Jeffrey Epstein

The allegations against him go back to the 2000s

2005 - Parents of a 14-year-old girl told police in Florida that Epstein had molested their daughter at his Palm Beach home. A police search of the property found photos of girls throughout the house.

2006 - He is charged with multiple counts of unlawful sexual acts with a minor.

2007 - Epstein’s lawyers put together a plea deal for Epstein, who was the 54.

He agreed to plead guilty to two felony prostitution charges in state court,

In exchange, he and his accomplices received immunity from federal sex-trafficking charges that could have sent him to prison for life.

2008 - Appears in court to plead guilty on two lesser counts and sentenced to a 18 months in jail and was released early in 2009

July 2019 - Arrested charges of child sex trafficking and conspiracy to commit sex trafficking.

Prosecutors accused him in a grand jury indictment of paying dozens of girls as young as 14 to engage in sex acts with him at his New York and Florida properties from 2002 to 2005.

Pleaded not guilty and could face up to 45 years in prison if convicted.

More than a dozen women have now come forward with more sex abuse allegations.

August 2019 - Hundreds of pages of court documents were unsealed alleging new details of sexual abuse claims against Epstein and several associates.

August 10 2019 - The twisted tycoon dies after apparently hanging himself in his prison cell.

Named in the court papers on Friday - along with Prince Andrew, 59 - were former New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson and financier Glenn Dubin.

Ms Giuffre has previously claimed that a “foreign president” and a “well-known prime minister” were caught up in the sordid affair.

A source has since claimed Epstein forged relationships with the rich and famous because it brought him “protection”.

“He kept a diary in meticulous detail in case he ever needed it,” the insider told the Mirror.

“One former congressman said there are a lot of people ‘breathing a huge sigh of relief’ now Jeff is dead.

“They should hold their breath for a long time to come. It ain’t over.”

Clinton and Trump both said they hadn't seen Epstein in years and knew nothing of his alleged misconduct when new charges were brought against him last month.

Lawyers for several women who say they were sexually abused by Epstein plan to file lawsuits this week against his estate.

The Queen put on a show of support for Prince Andrew earlier today after Epstein was found dead in prison.

In a determined display of unity, Her Majesty invited her son to ride alongside her in her car as they were taken to church at Balmoral.

Her backing came 24 hours after his financier friend was found “unresponsive” in his cell where he was awaiting trial accused of sex trafficking.

Andrew had learned of Epstein’s death while at Balmoral with his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson and their two daughters on Saturday.

What was Jeffrey Epstein accused of?

Jeffrey Epstein was a US financier who was convicted of soliciting an underage girl for prostitution in 2008.

He was arrested on July 6, 2019 for sex trafficking minors in Florida and New York.

Epstein was arrested on July 6, 2019 on sex trafficking charges.

Court documents allege that at least 40 underage girls were brought to Epstein’s mansion for sexual encounters.

He was arrested at Teterboro Airport in New Jersey.

FBI agents are also said to have broken down the door to his Manhattan townhouse.

He pleaded not guilty to child sex trafficking charges in New York and faced 45 years in prison if found guilty.

On July 18, a federal judge said that the disgraced financier presented was a "danger to the community" and must stay in one of New York's toughest prisons while he awaited his trial over the sex trafficking accusations.

The shamed financier was locked up amid fears he could have fled the country.

 Disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein with Ghislaine Maxwell, who is accused of procuring underage girls for him
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Disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein with Ghislaine Maxwell, who is accused of procuring underage girls for himCredit: Getty - Contributor
 Epstein and Maxwell pictured with then-property developer Donald Trump and Melania in early 2000
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Epstein and Maxwell pictured with then-property developer Donald Trump and Melania in early 2000Credit: Getty - Contributor
 Epstein pictured with Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago in 1997
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Epstein pictured with Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago in 1997Credit: Getty - Contributor
Drone footage of billionaire paedo Jeffrey Epstein's private island

Will truth emerge on Duke?

By Sharon Churcher, the journalist who broke the story

FOR Prince Andrew, the death of Jeffrey Epstein will come as a huge shock.

There can be little doubt they were close — their friendship endured despite Epstein’s time in jail in 2008 when he served 13 months after admitting soliciting a prostitute and procuring a girl under 18 for prostitution.

There are 16 numbers for the Duke of York in Epstein’s contacts book.

Described as the “Holy Grail” in an FBI affidavit, it was expected to be a key piece of evidence at the financier’s sex trafficking trial.

Claims in US court documents, strenuously denied by Buckingham Palace, that the billionaire paedophile arranged for his teen “sex slave” Virginia Giuffre to entertain the Queen’s son with a romp in a London bathtub have been a crucial part of the investigation into Epstein’s sleazy operation.

Just days after I broke the story of Giuffre’s claims, FBI agents flew to Australia to interview her.

She told me she would fully co-operate with them — but then burst into tears as she said Epstein had employed goons to try to scare her into silence.

Epstein’s billions undoubtedly played a role in preventing witnesses from coming forward — so now the truth perhaps will finally emerge.



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