Modelling scout linked to Epstein found dead in Paris

Modelling scout linked to Epstein found dead in Paris

Daniel Siad, a French modelling scout with ties to convicted US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, was found dead at his home in Colombes, a suburb of Paris. The discovery was confirmed by the Nanterre public prosecutor's office.

An autopsy will be performed to determine the cause of death. Prosecutors in Nanterre opened an investigation into the cause of death on Monday evening. Siad's lawyer, Menya Arab-Tigrine, stated that her client was innocent and suggested that if he died of a heart attack, the unbearable waiting, the pressure and the anxiety he suffered every day may have been factors.

Siad, 69, who also held Swedish citizenship, was under investigation in France as one of several men accused of assisting Epstein in trafficking and abusing women. The Paris prosecutor's office is dropping the specific probe targeting Siad following his death but is continuing a broader investigation into human trafficking linked to Epstein, who maintained a flat in the French capital.

Allegations and Recruitment

Investigators had been looking into allegations against Siad involving rape and human trafficking. Ebba Karlsson, a former Swedish model now in her fifties, filed the first complaint against him in February, alleging he raped her when she was 20.

Siad's name appeared in the declassified Epstein files, with his name appearing in more than 1,000 documents. In a 2014 email to Epstein, Siad compared his recruitment efforts to fishing, writing: In This busyness I feel like fisherman some time I cache quick, some time no fish.

The Defense and Industry Ties

Despite the allegations, Siad denied wrongdoing and had not yet been questioned by investigators. Siad maintained that Epstein had taken advantage of his trust and expressed a desire to provide his version of events before his death.

Siad's lawyer Menya Arab-Tigrine said her client had requested to give his side of the story before he died. Siad had insisted that the American had "taken advantage of his trust".

Impact on Victims

For victims, Siad represented a possible avenue to finally "shed light on what happened" in relation to Epstein, said Juliette G, a former French model who says Siad recruited her in 2004 to introduce her to Epstein in New York. "Another link in the chain has disappeared that could have helped uncover the truth and identify those responsible," said the woman, who has asked to withhold her surname to protect her privacy.

Ex-BBC journalist Lisa Brinkworth, who co-founded a collective to support victims of model industry abuse, said she was shocked by the news of Siad's death. "It feels like victims are being denied justice," added Brinkworth, who has accused Gerald Marie of sexually assaulting her in the 1990s. "The failure of the Paris public prosecutor's office to act in the knowledge that Siad was a close associate of Epstein and facing multiple rape and trafficking allegations is beyond comprehension," she said. "I urge the public prosecutor to now urgently investigate all individuals connected to Epstein and who are facing similar allegations."

Epstein died in prison in 2019 while awaiting trial for sex trafficking. French authorities in 2020 arrested modelling agent Jean-Luc Brunel after allegations he procured women for the US billionaire. He was found dead in prison in 2022.