A newly-unearthed photo of late convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein and his alleged "madam" Ghislaine Maxwell taken during a private audience with Pope John Paul II back in 2003 has been published by The Sun.
The image shows the billionaire financier and his former partner smiling while being blessed by the Pope.
According to the paper, Epstein and Maxwell flew to Rome on the notorious "Lolita Express" jet owned by Epstein and believed to have been used to transport young sex trafficking victims between New York, New Mexico, Paris, and his Palm Beach mansion in Florida.
The meeting with the Pope is believed to have taken place on 20 May 2003. John Paul II was the second-longest serving head of the Catholic Church from 1978 to 2005), when he died of heart failure.
"Pictures like this show just how powerful Epstein's connections were and his ability to open almost any door...He managed to manipulate his way into royal palaces, the White House and the Vatican, all with Maxwell by his side," The Sun on Sunday quoted its source as saying.
The photo with the Pope is another snapshot of Epstein's powerful contacts. An earlier leaked photo showed him with Prince Andrew in New York's Central Park.
This comes as Maxwell, 58, is facing a six-week trial in New York over allegations of abuse, procurement of young women, and trafficking crimes. She denies all the charges. If found guilty, she may be sentenced to over 80 years in jail.
Epstein committed suicide in his jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial for running a sex trafficking network of minors.