The Wall Street Journal says a picture of Bill Gates in 2014 alongside one of Jeffrey Epstein’s accusers recalls Epstein’s tactic of using photographed brushes with celebrities to manipulate girls working for him.The photo was allegedly taken by Gates himself at his Seattle office in March 2014, six years after Epstein’s 2008 conviction in Florida for soliciting and procuring a minor for prostitution, WSJ reported.In the image, published by WSJ Sunday, Gates is seen smiling and fiddling with the zipper of his sweater as a Polish model, then in her 20s, stands at his side in a gray jacket and blue scarf with her chest almost pressed up against him.The woman, whose face was obscured in the published photo, told WSJ she met Epstein months before the photo and that he claimed he could help her career with his powerful connections.The Polish model was also pictured beside director Woody Allen at Epstein’s townhouse and with former CBS News journalist Charlie Rose, among others.At least three other photos exist allegedly showing Gates with Epstein accusers, the WSJ reported, saying it reviewed images of a Russian model who claims she was abused by Epstein who was with Gates at the Four Seasons Hotel in New York City and Epstein’s Upper East Side townhouse.The model did not accuse those she was photographed with of sexual misconduct. However, her attorneys told WSJ Epstein was using his powerful connections to further his alleged sex trafficking operation — part of the sex offender’s use of photos to manipulate the women he abused and control the narrative around his nefarious behavior.“Without having legitimate connections to so many high-powered people, Jeffrey Epstein would not have been able to traffic most of these women after 2008,” said Brad Edwards. He and his law firm partner Brittany Henderson represent the model and more than 150 Epstein accusers.“He used the powerful people he was intermingling with to further facilitate his sex trafficking scheme, whether those people knew it or not,” Henderson added. “He was using everyone around him to create this façade of legitimacy.”The models told the newspaper Epstein would push them to post the images to social media and keep them with promises of being given work through those connections. Such promises almost always proved false.Epstein promised the Polish model she would be the mistress of one of his friends, which he said could earn her millions. She refused and returned to Poland.Epstein reportedly sent her the photograph with Gates in March 2015, telling her that instead of the life she used to live, “now you are back in your room, as you only follow your own advice.”The Polish model told Epstein a few months later, “My impression is that becoming a mistress was the only one-job proposition you were really serious about…Meeting Gates or Woody was great — thank you — will never forget it — although nobody hire[s] me just because I have…nice pictures with them.”Gates has previously expressed regret for having several meetings with Epstein in the 2010s, saying they were only done to raise money for the Gates Foundation.Allen said he never knew Epstein was using Allen’s name to manipulate victims.“At no time did he ever request I cast anyone in a movie — and I never did it,” the director said in a statement to WSJ. Epstein often targetted young women from Russia and Eastern Europe who had histories of sexual abuse, WSJ reported. Epstein would give them cash and promise them visas or education or housing. Instead, they found themselves on Epstein’s private Caribbean island; made to spend their days unclothed.The sex offender encouraged some to abandon their career pursuits and consider massage therapy, which he had them practice on him. In those sessions, Epstein often began his sexual assaults, according to his alleged victims.“He knew they weren’t going to report it because they were trained not to report abuse,” Henderson, the victims’ attorney, told WSJ, adding Epstein used “insidious mental manipulation” to exploit his victims’ insecurities and pasts.The Russian model said Epstein harassed her about her weight and alternated requests to get fatter or thinner, even though her 5-ft.10-in. frame hovered around 130 pounds.“There was always something with my body that was not right,” she said.Meanwhile, Epstein demanded thank you notes from women for anything he did for them and forced them to smile when he took nude photos and pictures of them.“It was almost like he was documenting everything so we can’t go against him,” the woman said.“If you’re not smiley and positive, he was going to give you a talk, because then you’re acting ungrateful. And those gratitude letters, I’m sure he was using them as just another guarantee that we wouldn’t go against him."“After a couple of years in the JE circle, none of us had any legitimate things to add to our résumés and none of the jobs he promised ever materialized.”Epstein killed himself while in jail on August 10, 2019.
