Nearly 6,800 kilometres from Little St James — the private Caribbean island that became central to the criminal case against Jeffrey Epstein — a luxury apartment in Paris is now under renewed scrutiny.
Situated on Avenue Foch, one of Europe’s most prestigious addresses and a short walk from the Champs-Élysées, the 18-room residence offered sweeping views of the Arc de Triomphe. But photographs released by French daily Le Parisien show interiors that investigators believe may have been used in alleged sexual exploitation and trafficking.
Photographs From A 2019 Investigation
The images were taken during a 2019 probe into allegations against French modelling agent Jean-Luc Brunel, a long-time associate of Epstein. Brunel was charged with rape of a minor and human trafficking but denied wrongdoing. He died in a Paris prison in 2022 while awaiting trial; authorities ruled his death a suicide.
Inside the apartment, walls painted in deep reds and pinks are lined with framed photographs of young women, some nude or semi-nude. One image reportedly shows Epstein posing with two topless women. A dimly lit massage room, equipped with a massage table and drawers containing sex accessories, is suspected by prosecutors to have been used for assaults.
Luxury And Eccentric Decor
The residence blended high-end furnishings with unusual decorative elements. A stuffed elephant calf and a mounted vulture were part of the interior display. A faux tiger-skin armchair adorned with animal horns stood in one room.
The apartment also included a red leather-lined study, sauna, gym and several themed bedrooms. One, known as the “Chinese room,” featured dragon-patterned wallpaper and portraits of Chinese emperors. Another was referred to as the “pink room.” A circular reception area, or “rotunda,” overlooked the Arc de Triomphe and contained a bearskin rug.
Epstein bought the property in 2001 and is believed to have visited Paris more than 170 times. French authorities suspect the apartment functioned as his European base, allegedly supported by a network that sourced young women during his stays.
Following Epstein’s death in a New York jail in August 2019 while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges, the property was sold in 2022 for over $10 million by a company linked to his estate.
Focus On Brunel’s Role
Brunel, founder of MC2 Model Management, had ties to Epstein stretching back at least two decades. Flight records show he travelled on Epstein’s private jet in 2002, and US jail logs indicate he visited Epstein during an earlier incarceration.
French investigators view Brunel as a key figure in examining whether young women were recruited through modelling channels and transported across borders. At least three women have testified that they were abused by Epstein or his associates in France. Child-protection group Innocence en Danger has reported receiving multiple accounts of alleged sex crimes linked to Epstein in the country.
Fresh Investigations
The renewed attention on the Paris apartment follows the release of extensive documents in the United States tied to Epstein’s case. French prosecutors have since opened investigations into suspected human trafficking and potential financial offences.
Though geographically distant from Little St James, investigators are exploring whether the Avenue Foch property was more than just a luxury residence — and whether it served as a European node in a network that extended well beyond the Caribbean.
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