Recently, it’s been revealed that both ABC and Vanity Fair interviewed the late Jeffrey Epstein’s accusers and gathered information about his pedophilia and predatory behavior, but neither outlet ever published the reports. Word has it that Epstein paid a visit to Vanity Fair’s editor-in-chief right before they made the decision to pull the story. How could this have happened?

And what was in the reports?

These interviews focused on Maria and Annie Farmer. Maria was a young adult in her twenties—an artist. Jeffrey was an art buyer and painter introduced by Jeffrey’s longtime associate, Ghislaine Maxwell. Annie was Maria’s fifteen year old sister. Maria and Annie Farmer, along with their mother Janice Farmer, confirmed publicly they spoke to Vanity Fair reporter Vicky Ward on the record in 2002. These interviews never made it into the public eye.

Now that the interviews are out—now that Maria and Annie are publicly sharing their story—what can we learn from this? The main takeaway, in my mind, is HOW Jeffrey groomed these young women (one of them legally a child), for years so that when he sexually assaulted them it seemed like they owed him their sexual favors and attention.

Basically, “Abusers also psychologically manipulate people so that they appear to be responsible for a person’s material and emotional needs, in order to keep them in the relationship.” (Quote from Refinery 29 article, “How Powerful Abusers Groom & Manipulate Young People.”)

According to expert Kristen Houser, MPA, of the National Sexual Violence Resource Center and Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape (as reported by Refinery 29) “Basically, [grooming is] gaining trust so that you can start to confuse somebody, and make it more and more difficult for them to leave the relationship, leave the situation, or get help.”

Men with power and resources can do this—I saw it again and again as a professional fashion fit model. The modeling world is full of young girls who want a big break. When it seems like a man like Epstein could give them that break—well, their walls came down and they find themselves open to a sexual predator.

What can people do? First, be attuned to the signs of a sexual predator. Young people can define their boundaries ahead of time, and write them down. They can practice

Parents, if a professional opportunity for your young child seems too good to be true—ask questions and get involved. Be a trusted advisor and offer good advice on how to get out of a situation if necessary. Don’t let your kids feel stuck with a predator because of financial reasons.

If this is happening to you, you are NOT alone. Get in touch with me—I want to hear your story and I’m available to talk through anything that’s happening.