The long-awaited Epstein files are finally being released, and among the thousands of photos now available to the public, one image in particular has sparked widespread outrage.
The massive document was released by the US Department of Justice just hours before the deadline set by the Epstein Files Transparency Act.
It includes nearly 600,000 pages of redacted records, photos, and investigative records tied to disgraced financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
While the files contain no explicit claims of wrongdoing against most of the people pictured, public backlash has been swift, especially in response to one disturbing image that appears to show Epstein lounging shirtless with a toddler.
Epstein is all smiles in the picture as he poses without a shirt and with what appears to be a white towel wrapped around his waist on a couch. Credit: US Department of Justice
Epstein Pictured Shirtless
In a newly released photo, Epstein is seen smiling, shirtless, and reclining on a couch with what appears to be a white towel wrapped around his waist.
The rest of the scene shows another person who is mostly out of frame - except for what viewers have identified as a small, scrawny leg and foot in a black sneaker peeking out from the corner.
Critics online immediately raised concerns, noting that the size of the leg suggests it may belong to a toddler.
While the picture could potentially be innocent, its release alongside a mountain of documents detailing Epstein’s involvement in sex trafficking has made it a lightning rod for public outrage.
“This is absolutely sickening. How the hell did this stay hidden for so long?” one user wrote on social media.
Another commented: “They protected him, and others involved continue to get away with it. Absolutely disgusting.” A third said: “The people responsible are still in power btw.”
The Department of Justice has not provided any context for the image or identified the child.
More bombshell Epstein files released by Democrats showed sentences from Lolita written on a girl’s chest. Credit: House Oversight Committee
More Disturbing Content
The DOJ began releasing the documents under congressional mandate and has stated that the material stems from several decades of investigations.
So far, the files include photos, videos, police records, and early victim reports, many of which had previously been sealed or heavily redacted.
Some of the most disturbing imagery includes photos of women with quotes from Vladimir Nabokov’s Lolita scrawled across their bodies.
One reads: “Lo-Lee-ta: The tip of the tongue taking a trip of three steps down the palate to tap, at three, on the teeth.”
Others read: “She was Lola in slacks” and “She was Lo, plain Lo, in the morning, standing four feet ten in one sock.” A copy of Lolita is visible in the background of one image.
The women’s faces are blurred, and their ages remain unknown.
A photo of Epstein with unnamed girls released by Democrats. Credit: House Oversight Democrats
High-Profile Names Included, But Not Accused
The release also includes photos of numerous celebrities and public figures, including former U.S. President Bill Clinton.
One image shows Clinton in a hot tub, while another shows him swimming with Ghislaine Maxwell and an unidentified woman.
Clinton has never been accused of wrongdoing by Epstein’s victims and has consistently denied knowing about Epstein’s crimes.
Another court document alleged that Epstein introduced a 14-year-old girl to President Donald Trump in the 1990s at Mar-a-Lago and elbowed him, saying, “This is a good one, right?” The now-79-year-old reportedly smiled and nodded.
The girl said, “They both chuckled,” and while she does not accuse the current president of abuse, she said she felt uncomfortable.
Trump’s name appears only sparingly in the release, and he has denied all wrongdoing.
Prince Andrew, now known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, also appears in a photo lying across five redacted people while Maxwell smiles in the background. He has repeatedly denied any misconduct.
Other celebrities named in the documents include Michael Jackson, Mick Jagger, Diana Ross, and Chris Tucker. The DOJ has emphasized that inclusion in the files does not indicate criminal behavior.
Photos also show Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, Woody Allen, Steve Bannon, and Qatari royal Sheikh Jabor Bin Yousef Bin Jassim Bin Jabor al Thani.
Gates, who appears in two images next to a blurred woman, has called his association with Epstein a “huge mistake.”
A picture of Michael Jackson, Bill Clinton, and Diana Ross was in the files. Credit: US Department of Justice
Victim Testimony
One of the earliest accusers, Maria Farmer, is also referenced in the release.
In a 1996 FBI complaint, Farmer said Epstein stole photos she had taken of her 12- and 16-year-old sisters and threatened to “burn her house down” if she spoke out.
“Epstein is now threatening [redacted] that if she tells anyone about the photos he will burn her house down,” the report stated. Farmer confirmed the account and said, “I feel redeemed.”
The DOJ has stated that more pages are still under review and will be released in the coming weeks.