Maria Farmer has described herself as one of the first women to report Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse to the FBI — a report she made in 1996 that, in her account, resulted in no significant action for over two decades.
Background
Farmer was working as an artist in New York in the mid-1990s and became connected to Epstein through professional introductions. She was hired to work as a receptionist at one of Epstein’s properties and later at an event connected to Les Wexner’s Ohio estate.
The Alleged Abuse
Farmer has alleged that both Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell sexually abused her at Wexner’s Ohio estate in 1996. She has also alleged that her younger sister Annie Farmer — later to testify at Maxwell’s trial — was separately abused at Epstein’s Zorro Ranch.
The FBI Report
Following the alleged abuse, Maria Farmer contacted the FBI to report what had happened. In her account, FBI agents took her statement and expressed awareness that Epstein was a person of interest but ultimately took no action. The exact reasons for inaction at that time are not fully documented in public records.
Subsequent Efforts
Farmer spent years attempting to get authorities and media to take her account seriously. She was among the earliest people to speak to journalists investigating Epstein. She connected with other victims and advocates over years before the case finally received sustained attention.
Connection to Annie Farmer
Maria’s sister Annie Farmer became the publicly named victim who testified at Ghislaine Maxwell’s trial in December 2021. The connection between the sisters’ parallel experiences at different Epstein properties has been noted as significant evidence of the network’s systematic pattern.
Media Attention
Maria Farmer gave extensive recorded interviews to journalist Whitney Webb and to mainstream media outlets after Epstein’s 2019 arrest. Her account of reporting to the FBI in 1996 was publicly documented and became part of the historical record of early warnings about Epstein that went unheeded.
Significance
Farmer’s experience illustrates how early law enforcement knowledge did not translate into action — the FBI had an apparent report about Epstein as early as 1996, but no prosecution occurred for another twelve years even after a full investigation.