The Palm Beach Police Department investigation, which began in late 2005, was the original law enforcement action against Jeffrey Epstein and remains one of the most thoroughly documented phases of the case.
How it began: A parent reported to Palm Beach Police in 2005 that her 14-year-old daughter had been recruited to Epstein’s Palm Beach mansion and sexually abused. Detective Joseph Recarey was assigned the case.
What the investigation documented: Over approximately two years, Recarey built a comprehensive case that included:
- 36 identified underage victims
- Detailed accounts of the recruitment structure — how girls were approached, typically at shopping malls or through peer referrals, with offers of $200 to give Epstein a “massage”
- The role of female recruiters (including Sarah Kellen and Adriana Ross) in managing the system
- Evidence of cash payments made directly after abuse
- Physical evidence collected from Epstein’s mansion during a search
The referral to state prosecutors: Recarey’s case was referred to Palm Beach County State Attorney Barry Krischer. Krischer charged Epstein with only a single count of solicitation of prostitution — a misdemeanor-level approach that Recarey and the department viewed as wholly inadequate.
What happened next: The Palm Beach Police took the unusual step of referring the case directly to the FBI, bypassing Krischer’s office. FBI involvement led to the federal investigation that produced the 2007–2008 non-prosecution agreement.
The original 2005 police report remains a key evidentiary document in the case.