According to media reports, US prosecutors said at the Thursday hearing that an investigation into Epstein’s crimes would continue, and that the dismissal would not prevent future charges against co-conspirators.
The deceased Epstein, a convicted sex offender, had been under investigation for nearly two decades at the time of his death. He was arrested in 2005 for molesting an underage girl. After being convicted of being a sex offender and pedophile, Epstein served a light sentence of just 13 months.
In July 2019, Epstein was arrested a second time and charged with trafficking minor girls at his residences for sex. Some of the charges date back to the 2000s. Epstein pleaded not guilty to all charges but faced up to 45 years in prison had he been convicted.
Epstein's death by hanging has been met with suspicion as the American pedophile is linked to many famous and powerful people, including US Presidents Bill Clinton and Donald Trump, UK royal Prince Andrew and numerous powerful Saudis and Europeans, was inexplicably taken off suicide watch, despite reportedly trying to kill himself weeks earlier.
On Tuesday, a hearing under oath featured emotional testimony from 16 women who detailed how Epstein abused them and were treated as "sex slaves". Many of Epstein's victims reportedly believe that he would have never faced real justice in court, according to Reuters.