Pets With Wings Program Resumes

Jeffrey Epstein, convicted child molester? He's even registered in the VI as a molester.

How can this be???

So, you don't believe in people being rehabilitated? Maybe he sees this as one of the steps to atone for his wrong doing.

I don't believe that rehabilitating the molester does any good for the children he molested.

I think this guy is throwing his money around so that people will like him.

I think he has more respect for animals than for children.

I think molesting children is just about the worst crime that can be committed.

Epstein is a registered sex offender following his admission of guilt to one charge of soliciting an underage woman for prostitution for which he served a year or so in Florida. Let's not get carried away with allegations of his being a child molester - or a predator. You may not approve of his former lifestyle in that area but the women who provided services knew exactly what they were doing and several lied about their ages. It's all on the record.

Solicitation of prostitution[edit]

In March 2005, a woman contacted Palm Beach police, concerned that her 14 year old daughter had been taken to Epstein’s mansion by an older girl and paid $300 after stripping and massaging him.[21] She had told him that she was 18 years old.[10] She undressed but had left on her underwear.[22] By 2011 at least 40 girls had come forward with similar stories, some saying Epstein sexually assaulted them during the massage.[21]
Police started an 11-month undercover investigation of Epstein, followed by a search of his home. Subsequently, they alleged that Epstein had paid several escorts to perform sexual acts on him. Interviews with five alleged victims and 17 witnesses under oath, phone messages, a high school transcript and other items they found in Mr. Epstein's trash and home allegedly show that some girls were under 18, although some maintained to him at the time that they were of proper age.[23] A search of Epstein's home found numerous photos of girls throughout the house, some of whom had been interviewed earlier by the police.[22] He had set up a system of young women recruiting other women for his massage services.[10] Two housekeepers stated to the police that Epstein would receive massages every day whenever he stayed in Palm Beach.[22] In May 2006, Palm Beach police filed a probable cause affidavit saying that Epstein should be charged with four counts of unlawful sex with minors and one molestation count.[22] His team of lawyers included Gerald B. Lefcourt, Alan Dershowitz and later also Kenneth Starr.[10] Epstein passed a lie detector test in which he was asked whether he knew of the under-age status of the girls.[24] They also questioned the credibility of the teenage accusers,[23] based in part on their MySpace postings and information obtained by private investigators.[not in citation given][25]
Instead of following the recommendation of the police, the prosecutors considered the evidence weak[24] and presented it to a grand jury, an uncommon procedure in non-capital cases. The grand jury returned only a single charge of felony solicitation of prostitution,[26] to which Epstein pleaded not guilty in August 2006.[25]
In June, 2008, after pleading to a single state charge of soliciting prostitution, Epstein began serving an 18-month sentence. He served 13 months in jail of his 18-month sentence as a convicted sex offender in the state of Florida for soliciting an underage girl for prostitution. He is a registered sex offender.[27][28][29]
After the accusations became public, several parties returned donations they had received from Epstein, including Eliot L. Spitzer, Mark A. Green, Bill Richardson,[13] and the Palm Beach Police Department.[23] Harvard announced that it would not return any money.[13]
On June 18, 2010, Epstein's former butler, Alfredo Rodriguez, was sentenced to 18 months in jail for trying to sell a journal that he said recorded Epstein's activities. Special Agent Christina Pryor reviewed the material and agreed it was information "that would have been extremely useful in investigating and prosecuting the case, including names and contact information of material witnesses and additional victims."[30][31]
Civil lawsuits[edit]
On February 6, 2008, an anonymous Virginia woman filed a $50 million civil lawsuit[32] in federal court against Epstein, alleging that when she was a 16-year-old minor in 2004-2005, she was "recruited to give Epstein a massage." After being brought to his Palm Beach mansion, she claims that he exposed himself and had sexual intercourse with her, and paid her $200 immediately afterward.[26] A similar $50 million suit was filed by a different woman in March 2008 who was represented by the same lawyer.[33] Several of these lawsuits were dismissed and all other lawsuits were settled out of court.[34] He has so far made 17 out-of-court settlements, and some cases are ongoing.[35]

As I noted, the records are readily available.

As long as the pets are being helped and this program is able to continue to help pets, it's a good thing.
He paid for his crime. It's public record. He will forever carry the stigma of being a registered sex offender but at least he is willing to donate funds to continue the program,

agreed alana

I can understand where y'all are coming from, and that it's the end-product that matters. Still, his money is dirty, sleazy dirty.

Funny thing...I just fostered one of the last pets to fly on his funds...didn't know what I know now...

I can understand where y'all are coming from, and that it's the end-product that matters. Still, his money is dirty, sleazy dirty.

Funny thing...I just fostered one of the last pets to fly on his funds...didn't know what I know now...

His wealth wasn't attained through "dirty sleazy" anything, just to set the record straight.

Also what does the last sentence mean? Surely the program's continuation through his funding hasn't even gone into effect yet, was only announced two days ago. :S

It's just something to consider, that's all.

we all do our best with what we got. That's my story & I'm sticking to it.

It's just something to consider, that's all.

we all do our best with what we got. That's my story & I'm sticking to it.

What's "something to consider"? You made the comment that you recently fostered, "one of the last pets to fly on his (Epstein's) funds" which is what I questioned.

I can understand where y'all are coming from, and that it's the end-product that matters. Still, his money is dirty, sleazy dirty.

Funny thing...I just fostered one of the last pets to fly on his funds...didn't know what I know now...

Would it have made a difference had you known it was "his money" and made you decide to not take the animal to relocated?

I think Epstein is a creep. I will choose to work with other groups. I can't accept being a part to anything he has his hands in.

There are many other rescue groups who need help, so my talents & time won't go unused. I am just so glad this op was made, now I can make a decision based on my beliefs and standards that suit me. Epstein's standards do not need to suit you, that's the free world we live in. You do what you want, and I do what I want. I will support the rescues/foster best I can, I just will not be afiliated with a child molester, a convicted sexual predator. Not my thing.

I just will not be afiliated with a child molester, a convicted sexual predator. Not my thing.

Of course you can make your own decisions but in all fairness you really need to get your facts straight. It is clear what he pleaded guilty to and served time for but it was NOT for either child molestation or being a predator.

Deals are made, pleas are agreed to. I don't suppose you where there either?

Bottom line: If he sponsors the pet with wings program, would you be adverse to helping the animals in this particular program due to this ideology of yours. The animals need the support. Would you turn them away because he did wrong and paid the price? Don't be overly sanctimonious if there is a beneficial outcome for these animals that are doomed to be killed without the funding to get them off island.

Deals are made, pleas are agreed to. I don't suppose you where there either?

I can read and understand what he was charged with, what he pleaded to and what he served time for. Again, there were no counts of child molestation or predation leveled against him. The fact that you find his alleged lifestyle so morally offensive that you would decry the Humane Society's acceptance of his philanthropy is one thing. However, when you wrongly accuse him of having attained his wealth through, "dirty, sleazy dirty" means and further continue to say that he was charged with crimes with which he was not, simply demonstrates not even an embellishment of the truth but a total distortion of the facts.

That you don't want to continue your support of the program because of the funding source is your own decision but throwing out falsities to explain such a decision is neither necessary nor right.

BTW - Randy Knight is the real hero of the HSSTT.
He has long gone UN- acknowledged and put way more money int the creation of this new HSSTT than Epstien ever contributed so lets at least give credit where credit is due .HSSTT needs a new board.

“When you know better you do better” - Maya Angelou

Funny you would quote a woman I have no respect for. When she finished her performance here at the Reichold Center a young girl, to whom she was her hero, was escorted to her by the then director of the center. She asked her to autograph her books that she brought to the performance. Her retort as she got into her limo. 'Maya doesn't do that.' The child left crying. No respect. Sorry.

That's such a terrible and sad story, How could she leave a child in tears like that. Simply abominable behaviour.
No more hero, that's for sure.