Jeffrey Epstein’s Opaque Finances Could Become Focal Point for Investigators

The money, tens of millions of dollars of it, would flow among Jeffrey Epstein’s dozens of bank accounts, shell companies and, at times, charities linked to high-powered friends.

Where was the money going? What was it for? Who was actually sending and receiving it?

A convicted pedophile and accused sex trafficker who surrounded himself with an elite network of business and political leaders, Mr. Epstein enjoyed the trappings of great wealth: private jets, mansions, his own island. But much remains unknown about the sources of his wealth.

Legions of lawyers, bankers and accountants have been trying in recent weeks to solve that mystery, and their quest is unlikely to end after Mr. Epstein was found dead on Saturday morning. The answers could illuminate how Mr. Epstein allegedly operated a long-running sex-trafficking operation, whether he had help from others and who — including Mr. Epstein’s victims — will receive any of his remaining assets. It is not known if Mr. Epstein had a will. read more »

Sexual misconduct allegations against California doctors rise sharply since #MeToo era began

The Berkeley pediatrician was treating a teenager for anxiety and panic attacks. A few months into his therapy appointments, he began showing the boy pictures of men masturbating as well as other pornographic images, according to state documents.

During several appointments, the doctor instructed the boy to masturbate and watched as he did so. He later had the boy perform oral sex on him.

Late last year, the Medical Board of California stripped the doctor, Bayard Allmond, 84, of his license to practice.

Allmond is part of a growing wave of California doctors who have faced sexual misconduct allegations in the last two years.

Since fall of 2017, the number of complaints against physicians for sexual misconduct has risen 62%, a jump that coincides with the beginning of the #MeToo movement, according to a Times analysis of California medical board data. read more »

Lyft driver arrested after passenger alleges rape

A Lyft driver in San Mateo is accused of raping an intoxicated passenger early Saturday morning after police said he brought the woman from a bar back to his home in Tracy during a trip, a report said.

San Francisco Chronicle reported the woman reportedly passed out in the back of Tonye Kolokolo’s car prior to the alleged crime. During the encounter, the driver is accused of having non-consensual intercourse with the 25-year-old woman. read more »