Jeffrey Epstein Seen Apparently Cuddling Young Children in Photos Newly Released by Justice Department By Liam Quinn

Photos released by the Department of Justice show Jeffrey Epstein sitting next to, and in some cases cuddling, young girls.

The photos were part of a wave of Epstein-related files released by the Justice Department since Friday, Dec. 19.

In one framed photo, Epstein appears to be seated on an airplane, smiling as he holds what looks to be a young girl in his lap. The girl’s face is redacted and she is not identified.

Another photo shows Epstein, wearing a bathrobe, cradling what again looks like a young girl while sitting with his eyes closed.

In a separate framed photo, also apparently taken aboard an airplane, Epstein is seen sitting next to a young child.

It is not clear who any of the children in the photos are and it is not clear if any of them are potential victims.

In another photo previously reported by PEOPLE, Epstein is seen sitting shirtless on a couch. Also seen in that photo is the leg of a child.

The wave of photos and files related to the Epstein investigation were released after President Donald Trump signed the bipartisan Epstein Files Transparency Act, which was passed by Congress last month.

But the Justice Department has not yet released all the materials, as mandated by the law, and what has been released includes heavily redacted documents.

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Featured in photos released by the Justice Department are several high-profile individuals, including former President Bill Clinton, Bill Gates, Michael Jackson and Kevin Spacey.

One of the photos taken in Epstein’s home included several pictures, including two with Trump. That image was removed from the Department of Justice’s website shortly after the trove was uploaded, though it has since been restored following backlash.

Epstein controversially died by suicide in 2019 while in federal custody in New York City. The disgraced financier had been arrested and was set to face federal sex trafficking charges.