a ~ — = Ce ———— ——s — 7 ——S = = ———<< ay —-*ED.380 (Rev. 5-8-81) ® (Indicate page, name of newspaper, city and staie.} 1B / 58 / The Palm Beach Post Mount Clioping in Space Below) West Palm Beach, FL ; Date: 8/5/2006 Edition: Title: ExperiL Ignorance of age isn't defense in sex cases Character OT Classification: 31E-MM-108062 Expert: Ignorance of age Cessenon SMM OBO r) 9 . . . isn’t defense in sex cases —_ Sy LARRY KELLER ve Palm Beach Post Staff Writer al aS ee . _ Even if Palm Boag mon- i us Ea clans have ey manager Jeffrey Epstein . didn’t know that girls who | “= ma. retumed dona- police say gave him sexual ff § . $21 tons since i massages at his Intracoastal |B By was charge home were under the legal |'¥ j with soliciting . age, that alone wouldn't have [" * MINOss. exempted him from criminal . charges of sexual activity with and lewd and lascivious mo- minors. _, lestation. They contend that * “Ignorance is not a valid Epstein — friend of the rich defense,” said Bob Dekle, a and famous and financial pa- legal skills professor who was tron of Democratic Party or- a Lake City prosecutor for ganizations and candidates — nearly 30 years, half of that committed those acts with time specializing in sex five underage girls. crimes against children. In the past week, New “There is no knowledge ‘York Attorney General and | @lement as far as the age is gubernatorial candidate Eliot ' concerned,” Dekle said. Spitzer has returned about After an 11-month investi- $50,000 in campaign contri- gation, Palm Beach -police butions he received from Ep- said there was probable cause stein, and Mark Green, a to charge Epstein, 53, with candidate to replace Spiizer in unlawful sex acts with a minor See EPSTEIN, 5B b> 03956-76 3/1E-MN — /080b2- II : HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_019371