Victims' lawyers: Justice Department fails to notify victims in Epstein child sex image cache

Two survivors of child sex abuse have filed a proposed class-action lawsuit against the U.S. Justice Department, alleging the agency failed to notify dozens of victims whose images were recovered from Jeffrey Epstein's vast collection of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

The lawsuit states that Epstein began collecting CSAM in the 1990s. Following his arrest, the Justice Department recovered "tens of thousands of videos" and a large volume of images confirmed by the FBI to depict likely minors. Hundreds of CSAM images have been identified, including approximately 15–20 dating back to the 1990s.

Plaintiffs allege that many of these victims likely never met Epstein and are unaware if their images were possessed, transported, or traded. They claim the Justice Department has largely ignored these individuals, failing to take steps to identify and inform them.

The suit seeks to compel the department to actively identify and notify all victims whose images were part of the recovered cache, highlighting the challenges in processing extensive evidence and ensuring victims' rights in such cases.