A new investigation by Brasil suggests that convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein used modelling connections to recruit young women and girls from South America.
The report highlights the role of French modelling agent Jean‑Luc Brunel, who faced accusations of rape, sexual assault, and recruiting girls for Epstein before his death in prison.
A Modelling Opportunity That Raised Suspicions
One woman, Gláucia Fekete, recalls meeting Brunel in 2004 when she was 16 years old.
She lived in rural Brazil and had just begun pursuing a career in modelling. Brunel visited her family home and spoke with her mother about a modelling contest in Ecuador.
At the time, the family did not know Brunel’s background. They had been introduced through a well-known Brazilian talent scout.
Fekete travelled with Brunel’s team to a modelling competition in Guayaquil called the Models New Generation contest. According to reports at the time, participants were between 15 and 19 years old.
She said the event itself seemed normal. However, she grew concerned when she could not contact her family during the trip.
Concerns From Other Contestants
Another contestant, who was 16 and from Europe, said Brunel’s behaviour seemed unusual.
She said he spent most of his time with the youngest contestants, especially girls from Brazil.
The former model said Brunel appeared to focus on girls who were more vulnerable.
She also claimed he seemed to control the finances of some participants.
According to her account, many of the targeted girls came from Brazil or Eastern Europe.
Offer to Travel to New York
Near the end of the competition, Brunel offered to fly Fekete to New York to take part in modelling shows.
He promised that all expenses would be paid.
However, the trip required permission from her mother.
Fekete’s mother refused the offer immediately.
She said she became suspicious of the focus on very young girls and decided to end all contact with Brunel’s network.
Fekete later described the decision as a narrow escape.
Evidence From Travel Documents
The BBC investigation also found documents suggesting Brunel used modelling agencies to arrange travel visas for women linked to Epstein.
One Brazilian woman shared her US visa with journalists. The document listed one of Brunel’s agencies as her sponsor.
However, she said she never worked as a model for the agency. Instead, she claimed the visa was arranged so she could visit Epstein in the United States.
Epstein’s Presence at the Time
Government records show Epstein was in Guayaquil during the final days of the modelling competition in August 2004.
Documents also suggest that at least one participant under the age of 16 later flew on Epstein’s private plane that same year.
Looking back on the experience, Fekete said she did not understand the risks at the time.
She believes her mother’s decision protected her from a dangerous situation
