Marina Lacerda, identified in the 2019 indictment as “Minor-Victim 1,” spoke publicly on Sept. 3, 2025, telling ABC News and lawmakers she wants federal records about Jeffrey Epstein released so survivors can begin to heal.
Key Takeaways
- Marina Lacerda, 37, provided information that helped lead to the 2019 federal sex‑trafficking indictment of Jeffrey Epstein.
- Federal agents first contacted Lacerda in 2008; prosecutors later secured a controversial non‑prosecution agreement that halted earlier grand jury testimony.
- Lacerda says she first met Epstein in 2002 at age 14 and was recruited to his New York residence to provide massages that became sexual abuse.
- She recounted being part of a network of young women recruited in New York and said Epstein paid her thousands of dollars over time.
- On Sept. 2–3, 2025, Lacerda met with Congressional lawmakers and publicly urged the administration to release Epstein‑related files.
- Department of Justice and FBI statements in July 2025 said investigators found no evidence of a formal “client list” tied to Epstein; allegations about such a list remain unproven.
Verified Facts
According to prosecutors’ court filings, Lacerda was first contacted by federal investigators in 2008. She told investigators she had met Jeffrey Epstein in New York in 2002 when she was 14 and was recruited to his home to give a massage, a meeting that she says led to repeated sexual abuse.
In 2008 Lacerda prepared to speak to a grand jury, but a non‑prosecution agreement (NPA) reached between Epstein and federal prosecutors curtailed that earlier process. Eleven years later, New York prosecutors reopened a case that used Lacerda’s later cooperation and other evidence to bring sex‑trafficking charges in 2019.
Epstein pleaded not guilty and died by suicide in a New York jail in 2019. His death meant he was not tried on the 2019 charges; however, survivors’ accounts and prosecutorial filings remain central to ongoing inquiries and public debate.
In July 2025 the Department of Justice and the FBI issued public statements saying their reviews did not uncover evidence of a formal “client list” maintained by Epstein. That conclusion addressed specific public allegations but did not change victims’ calls for broader disclosure of investigative records.
Context & Impact
Lacerda’s public appearance comes amid continuing demands from survivors and some lawmakers for greater transparency about how Epstein was investigated and how prosecutorial decisions were handled. For many survivors, access to records is seen as a step toward accountability and closure.
Officials who reviewed Epstein materials during the Trump administration faced political pressure after deciding in August 2025 not to release additional files. That decision prompted public criticism and renewed calls from some victims for a fuller disclosure of investigative documents and internal communications.
Advocates say releasing records could clarify what investigators knew at key moments, who was interviewed, and which prosecutorial options were considered. Opponents of broad disclosure cite privacy and legal constraints tied to ongoing inquiries and third‑party protections.
“We need to have transparency. We need the Epstein files to be out,”
Marina Lacerda, ABC News interview
Unconfirmed
- Claims of a comprehensive, preserved “client list” naming public figures linked to Epstein have not been substantiated by DOJ or FBI reviews.
- Allegations that specific public officials intentionally suppressed investigatory materials remain the subject of political dispute and are not proven in court records reviewed publicly to date.
Bottom Line
Lacerda’s public appeal increases pressure on federal authorities and lawmakers to decide whether more Epstein‑related records should be released. For survivors, the debate is about transparency and healing; for officials, it raises legal and privacy questions that will shape any further disclosures.