An Uzbekistan-born model publicly identified only as “Roza” delivered emotional testimony before US lawmakers in Florida, alleging that disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein repeatedly sexually abused her while he was officially serving a controversial house arrest sentence in Palm Beach.
The testimony was presented during a congressional field hearing organized by Democratic members of the House Oversight Committee in West Palm Beach, less than three miles from Epstein’s former mansion.
Roza, speaking publicly for the first time, described years of exploitation, immigration-related coercion, and institutional failures that she said enabled Epstein to continue abusing young women even after his 2008 plea agreement in Florida.
Survivor Says Abuse Continued During House Arrest
According to her testimony, Roza moved to the United States in 2008 at age 18 on a modeling visa after being recruited through a modeling agency connected to the late French talent scout Jean-Luc Brunel.
She told lawmakers that she quickly became trapped in debt through the agency before Brunel introduced her to Epstein in July 2009.
At the time, Epstein was supposedly under strict house arrest after reaching a highly criticized plea deal involving charges related to soliciting prostitution from a minor. Despite those restrictions, Roza testified that Epstein hired her under the guise of working as an assistant for his foundation and allegedly abused her repeatedly over a three-year period.
Roza said Epstein used his political influence and immigration connections to control her visa status and threatened to have her removed from the country if she resisted his demands.
“The latitude given to Epstein made justice feel impossible,” she told lawmakers during the hearing.
Her testimony echoed longstanding criticism that Epstein’s 2008 Florida plea agreement allowed him unusually lenient treatment despite allegations involving numerous underage girls and vulnerable young women.
Survivors Criticize Systemic Failures
Several survivors and advocates appearing at the hearing argued that authorities failed to adequately stop Epstein’s operations for years.
Courtney Wild told lawmakers that if Epstein had been jailed under normal conditions in 2009, many later victims could have been spared.
The hearing also focused on how Epstein and his associates allegedly exploited immigration systems and modeling networks to recruit foreign women and girls.
Lawmakers presented findings from reports examining how visas, financial pressure, and international recruitment pipelines were allegedly used to facilitate trafficking operations connected to Epstein’s network.
Anger Over DOJ “Privacy Breach”
Beyond recounting past abuse, Roza strongly criticized a recent Department of Justice document release connected to the Epstein investigation.
She said she discovered that her real name had been left unredacted more than 500 times in released government records, while the identities of wealthy or politically connected individuals were heavily concealed.
Roza told lawmakers that the disclosure stripped away her anonymity as a “Jane Doe” survivor and left her fearing retaliation and harassment.
“Releasing my name while redacting the names of other powerful people is not a mistake, it’s a choice,” she said during testimony. “It’s a choice to prioritize the comfort of an institution over the safety of survivors.”
Political Debate Surrounds Epstein Case Continues
The unofficial “shadow hearing” was organized by Congressional Democrats and intentionally held near President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach County.
Lawmakers used the hearing to renew criticism of how federal authorities handled Epstein’s original prosecution and to warn against any possibility of clemency for Ghislaine Maxwell, who remains imprisoned following her conviction on sex trafficking-related charges.
There has been no indication from the White House that President Donald Trump is considering a pardon for Maxwell.
Epstein died in federal custody in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. His death was officially ruled a suicide, though the circumstances surrounding the case continue to generate public scrutiny and conspiracy theories.
Sources: Associated Press, Reuters, Miami Herald, House Oversight Committee testimony
Editor: Sudhir Choudhary
Date: May 14, 2026
Tags: Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell, House Oversight Committee, Palm Beach, DOJ, Human Trafficking, USA News
News by The Vagabond News.
