The former model talked about recruiting girls for Epstein

Former Russian model Svetlana Pozhidaeva has spoken publicly for the first time about how she became involved in the sexual exploitation system of American financier Jeffrey Epstein, as well as about the mechanisms for recruiting other women. After the publication of the case materials, her name was partially disclosed, which forced her to make a frank confession. This was reported by The Wall Street Journal (WSJ).

Pozhidaeva said that for more than a decade she had been under the control of Epstein, who used financial pressure and false promises to retain women. According to her, after his death, she tried to start a new life by changing her name and place of residence, but the publication of archival materials made her vulnerable again.

She noted that she did not expect to reveal her identity, since previously the victims' data was carefully hidden. However, due to errors when editing documents, her name appeared to be available in a number of files. Since then, she has been forced to seek their correction and appeal to the authorities to eliminate the leaks.

According to Pozhidaeva, the pressure intensified after bloggers began threatening to reveal her new identity and contact her family. As a result, she decided to tell her story on her own.

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The model explained that she met Epstein in 2008 through a model scout who promised her career opportunities, including participation in projects of the Victoria's Secret brand. However, these promises have not been fulfilled. Instead, according to Pozhidaeva, she found herself in a system where she was required not only to participate personally, but also to involve other girls.

According to her, the scheme resembled a "pyramid": women who were addicted attracted new participants in order to reduce the pressure on themselves. Financial assistance was processed as loans, and control extended to housing, visa status, and personal contacts.

"I'm ashamed, and I think about those women all the time. That's the hardest part of the whole story—I was too caught up in my own violence to see any further. I had to look happy and smile, while inside I was struggling with eating disorders, depression and insomnia," she told the publication.

Attorney Brad Edwards, who represents dozens of Epstein's victims, including Pozhidaeva, told the publication that after the 2008 verdict, Epstein deliberately refocused on adult women, using their age as a cover to continue his activities. According to the lawyer, this strategy largely worked and allowed him to avoid the close attention of law enforcement officers for a long time.

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Brigette Carr, a law professor at the University of Michigan, who founded the human trafficking clinic, emphasized that a victim involved in recruitment does not become an accomplice while she remains trapped. Pozhidaeva was recognized as a victim in the framework of lawsuits against Epstein's inheritance and received compensation.

"I've been under Jeffrey Epstein's control and pressure for over a decade. Now I need to learn how to protect myself. I won't let anyone bully me anymore," she said.

She also pointed out the problem of public perception: the publication of individual letters and fragments of correspondence, in her opinion, creates a distorted view of what happened. Currently, Pozhidaeva continues to seek the removal of her data from public access and emphasizes that she intends to permanently close this stage of her life.

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Epstein could act as a supplier of victims of sexual exploitation for the former owner of the London department store Harrods, Egyptian billionaire Mohammed Al-Fayed, as it became known on March 15. According to one of the victims, Epstein lured her into his network at the age of 17. In 1997, under the pretext of helping her develop her modeling career, he arranged for her to meet with Al-Fayed on a yacht in Saint Tropez.

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