After a decision by a judge in the United States, the names of more than 170 people who were associated with the convicted sexual offender Jeffrey Epstein could be made public the next month.
In the event that information is made public from a woman who claims that Prince Andrew touched her in 2001, it is anticipated that he will be associated with them.
As part of a lawsuit that has been settled against Ghislaine Maxwell, a sex trafficker and associate of Epstein, the identities of the individuals are being disclosed.
There is a deadline of January 1 for anyone on the list to submit an appeal to have their name removed.
In 2019, Epstein, a wealthy banker who was known to have a romantic relationship with high-profile figures such as Prince Andrew, passed away there. His death, which occurred while he was waiting for federal charges related to sex trafficking, was determined to be a suicide by the medical examiner in New York.
The decision that was handed down by New York Judge Loretta Preska on Monday, which was a 51-page document, stipulates that Epstein's links should be "unsealed in full."
It is the most recent document that has been submitted in the case that Ms. Giuffre has taken against Maxwell, a former British socialite who is currently serving a sentence of twenty years in jail for the crimes that she committed with Epstein.
As a result of the defamation case that Ms. Giuffre filed in 2015 and the settlement that she reached in 2017, the names of a large number of Epstein associates were placed under a court-ordered seal.
Johanna Sjoberg, who has claimed that Prince Andrew touched her breast while she was sitting on a couch inside Epstein's Manhattan residence in 2001, has provided forty documents for evidence. These documents are included in the collection.
According to statements made by Buckingham Palace in the past, the charges are "completely and utterly false."
When Ms. Giuffre was 17 years old, she filed a lawsuit against the Duke of York, alleging that he sexually molested her. In order to settle the case, the Duke of York paid Ms. Giuffre millions of dollars.
The charges made by Ms. Giuffre were refuted by Prince Andrew, who stated that he had never met her.
Judge Preska made a point of mentioning in her decision that a significant number of the individuals mentioned in the complaint have previously been identified to the general public by the media or in the course of Maxwell's criminal trial.
Additionally, she stated that a large number of individuals "did not express an issue" to the disclosure of the information.
The court stated in her order that some of the names on the list will continue to be kept confidential, including those that belong to female victims who were minors.
There is a campaign among Republicans in the United States Congress to issue a subpoena for the flight logs of Epstein's private plane.
Epstein had mingled in social circles that included major players in the world of business and politics prior to his conviction in 2008 for soliciting prostitution from a juvenile. Her conviction was handed down in 2008.
