Among the documents the US Department of Justice released on 19/12 were numerous photographs of celebrities, including former US President Bill Clinton and former Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger, pictured with Jeffrey Epstein. Some images showed Clinton relaxing in a hot tub or swimming with a dark-haired woman, who appeared to be Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein's accomplice.

The Epstein files also contained 7 pages listing 254 massage employees linked to the billionaire. However, their names were redacted, citing "redaction to protect victim information". The files also included several sensitive photographs depicting scantily clad individuals, which had been obscured. There were also some images of Epstein with a masked person holding a gun.

Images from the Epstein files released by the US Department of Justice on 19/12. *Photo: AFP*

Redactions within the documents raised doubts about whether this release would quell long-standing conspiracy theories. Nevertheless, the documents were expected to shed light on Epstein's relationships with powerful, famous individuals in the USA.

19/12 marked the deadline the US Congress set for the Trump administration to release the Epstein files. US Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche stated the department released hundreds of thousands of documents that day, with more expected in the coming weeks. Prosecutors reserve the right to withhold documents related to ongoing investigations, and materials would be further redacted to protect victim identities.

Epstein, born in 1953, was arrested in New York in 7/2019. He faced charges of luring dozens of minors and engaging in sexual acts, which could have resulted in 45 years in prison if convicted. Epstein denied all accusations and was held at Manhattan jail, New York. However, while awaiting trial, Epstein hanged himself in his cell in 8/2019.