Jean-Luc Brunel Arrested in Paris on Sex Crime Charges

On December 16, 2020, French authorities arrested Jean-Luc Brunel, a prominent modeling agent and longtime associate of Jeffrey Epstein, at Charles de Gaulle Airport as he attempted to board a flight. He was taken into custody on charges of rape and sexual assault involving multiple victims, including minors.

Brunel, 74 at the time of arrest, had co-operated modeling agencies MC2 and Karin Models with Epstein’s financial backing. Multiple women had alleged that Brunel had sourced models from Europe, South America, and Africa — many of them minors or young adults — and had facilitated their abuse by Epstein and others. Brunel himself was alleged to have participated directly in abuse.

The French investigation had been opened in 2019 following Epstein’s arrest in the United States and was part of a broader French judicial inquiry into the trafficking network’s international operations. Brunel had denied all allegations for years.

His arrest was described by victims’ advocates as one of the most significant law enforcement actions against Epstein’s associates. Brunel remained in custody pending trial until his death in La Santé prison on February 19, 2022, which French authorities ruled a suicide.