In this Jan. 19, 2020 file photo, Britain's Prince Andrew accompanies Queen Elizabeth II to attend a church service at St Mary the Virgin, in Hillington, England. (Joe Giddens/PA via AP)
NEW YORK — Britain’s Prince Andrew has “completely shut the door” on cooperating with the FBI in its investigation into late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, a US prosecutor said Monday.
Despite publicly offering his assistance, “Prince Andrew has now completely shut the door on voluntary cooperation,” said New York attorney Geoffrey Berman, who had already accused the prince in late January of failing to cooperate.
Berman added that his office, which is known for having some of the most aggressive investigators in the US federal judiciary system, “is considering its options” on how to proceed, without offering further details.
Queen Elizabeth II’s second son stepped back from frontline royal duties after he faced outrage over an interview with the BBC late last year in which he defended his friendship with Epstein.
This March 28, 2017 photo provided by the New York State Sex Offender Registry shows Jeffrey Epstein. (New York State Sex Offender Registry via AP, File)
Andrew, 59, also denied having sexual relations with Virginia Giuffre, who alleges she was trafficked to have sex with friends of Epstein when she was 17.
Get The Times of Israel's Daily Editionby email and never miss our top stories
Epstein, 66, killed himself in a New York jail in August while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges.
He was a multi-millionaire hedge fund manager who befriended countless celebrities over the years, including US President Donald Trump.
Epstein was charged with one count of sex trafficking of minors and another of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of minors.
Advertisement
He denied the charges but was facing up to 45 years in jail if found guilty.
Help us report truthfully on social media
As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos.
This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world.
If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to sustain responsible multimedia reporting.
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you, David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel