The arrest of billionaire financier Jeffrey Epstein in New York on child sex trafficking charges is the latest step in a long, emotionally-brutal battle for one of his alleged victims who moved to Australia as a 19-year-old when she believes she became 'too old' for him.
Virginia Roberts Giuffre has been one of Epstein's most vocal accusers, alleging he recruited and groomed her as a 16-year-old in Florida to have sex with him and other rich and powerful men.
Ms Giuffre, now 35, broke away from Epstein when she married an Australian man in 2003, settled in Queensland and had three children.
Epstein, 66, appeared in a New York court on Monday dressed in a blue jail jumpsuit and entered not guilty pleas to counts of sex trafficking of minors and conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking of minors.
'Finding the words adequate enough now to express how I feel is a tall task,' Ms Giuffre, in a statement released to AAP by her lawyer Sigrid McCawley, said.
'But I can say, without hesitation, that I am deeply pleased that federal prosecutors in New York have arrested Jeffrey Epstein and are on the case in a serious way.
Virginia Roberts Giuffre, now 35, (pictured holding a photo of her when she was 16) has been one of Epstein's most vocal accusers, alleging he recruited and groomed her as a 16-year-old in Florida to have sex with him and other rich and powerful men
'It is time for Jeffrey Epstein and those who participated and enabled his sex crimes to be brought to true justice.'
Epstein was arrested on Saturday after his private plane landed in New Jersey after a flight from Paris.
The indictment alleges Epstein, between 2002 through 2005 in New York and Florida, sexually exploited and abused dozens of underage girls by enticing them to engage in sex acts with him in exchange for money.
His victims were as young as 14, according to prosecutors.
Epstein allegedly worked with several employees and associates 'to ensure that he had a steady supply of minor victims to abuse, and paid several of those victims themselves to recruit other underage girls to engage in similar sex acts for money'.
He faces more than 40 years in prison if convicted.
Epstein also faced a lengthy prison sentence amid similar allegations in Florida in 2007 but managed to strike a lenient deal allowing him to plead guilty to two state charges of soliciting a minor for prostitution.
He was given 13 months in Palm Beach County jail, but spent up to 12 hours a day, six days a week, on work release outside of jail.
The Miami Herald launched an investigation, exposing the plea deal and horror stories from alleged victims, including Ms Giuffre.
The newspaper says it was able to identify nearly 80 girls who allegedly were molested by Epstein.
Ms Giuffre told the Herald it was when she turned 19 in 2003 it became clear Epstein had lost interest in her because she 'was too old for him'.
She said she convinced him to pay for training to become a professional masseuse so she could move on with her life.
Epstein arranged for her to fly to Thailand to take a massage class but he instructed her to pick up a Thai girl he had arranged to come to the US, the Herald reported.
Ms Giuffre did not follow the plan.
She met an Australian man in Thailand, married soon after, settled in Queensland and the couple has three children.
Ms Giuffre said the FBI called her in Australia in 2007 to ask about Epstein, but she was not certain the call was legitimate.
'Then about six months later I get a knock at the door and it is the Australian Federal Police,' she told the Herald.
'There was a 12-page document about Jeffrey Epstein and what he had done and how I was a victim.'
Ms Giuffre went public with her claims against Epstein after the birth of her daughter.
She hopes other victims of abuse also go public 'whenever you are ready to do it'.
'It took me having a daughter and looking at this beautiful, young, innocent baby to say 'I want to speak out about it now',' she said.
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