Jeffrey Epstein's inner circle Ghislaine Maxwell and Jean-Luc Brunel traced to Brazil | US News | Sky News
Jeffrey Epstein's death has not silenced his victims.
The prosecution of the disgraced billionaire might be over, but global investigations into his inner circle of alleged enablers are only just beginning.
Among the names most mentioned are Ghislaine Maxwell and Jean-Luc Brunel.
Ghislaine Maxwell's friendship with Epstein goes back years, she was reportedly his girlfriend at one point. It's also claimed she played a significant part in the recruitment of girls and young women.
Jean-Luc Brunel ran successful French model agencies with high profile names on his books. It's alleged he also procured women for Epstein.
The pair haven't been seen since Epstein killed himself on 10 August, while facing trial for sex trafficking.
They've gone to ground, but Sky News understands they've recently been in the Brazilian riviera.
Information gathered by a former US police officer, who was not paid or commissioned by Sky News, shows that Brunel's phone was traced to the Infinity Blue Resort and Spa in Santa Catarina. It is an upmarket holiday area popular with wealthy tourists.
At the same time, Ghislaine Maxwell's phone was also connected to a network in Santa Catarina state.
Sky News visited the hotel but by the time we arrived there was no sign of either Brunel or Maxwell.
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Epstein took his own life while at the Metropolitan Correctional Centre
Ghislaine Maxwell was last seen in Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts, in mid-August.
Brunel's lawyer denies he is on the run, insisting he is willing to cooperate with investigations.
Yet there has been no sign of him since 5 July when he was pictured partying at the exclusive members-only Paris Country Club. He was a guest at the club's Soiree Blanche where tables cost over £1000. This was his last public appearance.
Similarly, Ghislaine Maxwell hasn't been seen for weeks.
She shut down her ocean protection TerraMar Project in the US on 12 July, just six days after Epstein's arrest.
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Ghislaine Maxwell began the process of closing her company shortly after Epstein's death. Pic: Companies House
Sky News has learnt she has also formally started proceedings to shut the UK arm of the project too.
Companies House records show she signed off the closure on 13 August, three days after Epstein was found dead in his cell.
Maxwell and Brunel both enjoyed a lavish, luxury lifestyle, hanging out with huge names in politics, business and entertainment.
Since the death of Epstein questions have been asked about their role in his trafficking and abuse of young girls.
Ghislaine Maxwell, daughter of disgraced newspaper tycoon, Robert Maxwell, has been named in a number of papers filed in the US.
Among them a case brought by Virginia Roberts, now known as Virginia Roberts Giuffre.
She claimed Maxwell had recruited her as an underage teenager, to have sex with Jeffrey Epstein.
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Ghislaine Maxwell has been named in a number of papers filed in the US
Her case also mentioned Prince Andrew. She says she had sex with him on three separate occasions when she was seventeen years old.
A now infamous photo of Prince Andrew with his arm around her waist, shows Ghislaine Maxwell also in the shot. The image reportedly taken at Maxwell's central London mews house.
A statement from Buckingham Palace strenuously denied "any form of sexual contact or relationship with Virginia Roberts".
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Prince Andrew and a 17-year-old Virginia Roberts at Ghislaine Maxwell's house in London in March 2001. Pic: Rex/Shutterstock
There has been much scrutiny of the Duke of York's friendship with Jeffrey Epstein. Epstein and Maxwell were among the guests at a large royal birthday party at Windsor Castle. They were also invited to Sandringham, the Queen's country retreat.
The Prince and Epstein were photographed holidaying together in Thailand, on board a private yacht surrounded by young women.
Even after Epstein was convicted of procuring a minor for prostitution and put on the sex offenders register, Prince Andrew continued seeing him.
They were photographed in 2010 walking in New York's Central Park. And video recently emerged from the same time, of Prince Andrew looking out from the door of Epstein's Manhattan mansion.
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Prince Andrew has denied any wrongdoing. Pic: SWNS
In a statement Prince Andrew said: "I have said previously that it was a mistake and an error to see him after his release in 2010 and I can only reiterate my regret that I was mistaken to think that what I thought I knew of him was evidently not the real person, given what we now know.
"This is a difficult time for everyone involved and I am at a loss to be able to understand or explain Mr Epstein's lifestyle. I deplore the exploitation of any human being and would not condone, participate in, or encourage any such behaviour."
The FBI is investigating claims from Epstein's alleged victims, which might include his links to Prince Andrew.
There are private cases underway too. Ghislaine Maxwell is named in a well-documented case brought by Jennifer Araoz.
Victoria Giuffre: 'He knows exactly what he's done'
Ms Araoz claims Epstein frequently masturbated in front of her and raped her. She's suing Epstein's estate and others including Ghislaine Maxwell.
She claims Maxwell was complicit in Epstein's sex-trafficking. Lawyers acting for Ms Araoz say they've not yet been able to serve her with legal papers because they cannot find her.
They've hired private investigators to try to find her, but so far her location remains unknown.
Other women have made similar claims against Ghislaine Maxwell, alleging she recruited them and facilitated encounters with Epstein.
Meanwhile in Paris, preliminary investigations are also underway into Epstein and his associates, relating to the rape and sexual assault of women and girls aged under fifteen.
Prosecutors in France are trying to find out whether claims of sex-trafficking took place on French soil.
As part of the investigations, one of the model agencies which was founded by Jean-Luc Brunel was recently searched.
Virginia Roberts Giuffre claims Brunel offered girls modelling jobs in the US, but was actually recruiting them for Epstein.
Brunel, who has been accused of sexual assault in the past, has strongly denied any wrongdoing in his work as a model agent.
His lawyer says he would help any investigation but hasn't yet been contacted.
The search for Jean-Luc Brunel and Ghislaine Maxwell is far from over.