The FBI has seized computer equipment from the late accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein’s mansion, which is located on a private island in the Caribbean.
Drone footage obtained by the CNBC showed at least two computer desktops and an Apple computer packaged and marked for transport during an FBI raid of 70-acre Little St. James Island, which was owned by Epstein.
Taking part in Monday’s raid were officials from the New York Police Department (NYPD), who are members of the FBI New York Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force.
CNBC cited an unnamed NYPD spokeswoman as saying that “the NYPD is a partner in the task force with the FBI that led to the arrest of Jeffrey Epstein last month”.
“The case remains an active and ongoing investigation, and the NYPD continues to work alongside the FBI in investigating leads — including at Epstein’s estate in the Virgin Islands. The NYPD declines further comment on an ongoing investigation,” the spokeswoman added.
The New York Post in turn quoted unnamed sources as saying that the FBI is in search for evidence to confirm claims by hundreds of women who accuse Epstein of sexually abusing them when they were underage girls.
Earlier, President Donald Trump demanded a “full investigation” into the circumstances of Epstein's death, while Attorney General William Barr lambasted the Metropolitan Correctional Centre, saying that there were “serious irregularities” at the facility, and that he was “appalled” after hearing about Epstein's death.
“We will get to the bottom of what happened, and there will be accountability,” Barr pointed out.
US President Donald Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani told Fox News that he doesn’t like conspiracy theories and that police should not engage in them because “we need to know the facts”.
He added that “the whole thing is completely incredible” to him, singling out many potential ways in which Epstein could have been killed.
“He could kill himself, prisoners could kill him because they don't like alleged perverts [...] And don't like people who might cooperate,” Giuliani claimed.
The remarks followed those by New York Mayor Bill de Blasio who said that Epstein’s death “boggles the imagination” and that “this series of events is way too convenient”.
Speaking to the news network NY1 on Tuesday, he suggested that all those involved could say that they were watching Epstein “like a hawk” and that they were going to “take every measure to make sure nothing happens to him or he doesn’t do anything to himself”.
Epstein was arrested on multiple counts of alleged sex trafficking and abuse of minors last month, with the Justice Department starting an investigation into his case in early 2019, ruling the non-prosecution agreement which followed his 2008 plea deal and 18-month prison sentence unconstitutional. He apparently committed suicide at a Metropolitan Correctional Centre cell on 10 August.