Zelenskyy accuses US of inaction as Russian strikes kill over 70 in 2 days

A modelling scout with ties to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has been found dead at his home in France. Authorities discovered Daniel Siad, 69, on Monday in Colombes, a suburb northwest of Paris, according to confirmation from the Nanterre prosecutor’s office. The office said it opened an investigation Monday evening to determine the cause of death and confirmed that a post mortem examination would be conducted. Siad’s name appeared thousands of times across documents released by the US government related to Epstein. He had denied any awareness of the threat Epstein posed to the women and girls around him. His lawyer, Menya Arab Tigrine, stressed that Siad had faced several complaints in France, including allegations of rape, but had never been prosecuted. She said in a statement that he had died and that he was innocent. A woman identified only as Anya, an Epstein victim who spoke previously to reporters, said Siad had introduced her to Epstein and described the arrangement as a complete set up, calling Siad essentially a professional trafficker. In one email to Epstein released among the files, Siad wrote in broken English that in this business he sometimes catches fish quickly and other times catches none, a comment referencing his work finding models. Ahead of a recent investigative report examining the allegations, Arab Tigrine had said her client was unavailable for comment. However, in an earlier television interview, Siad said he had not known that women were being abused by Epstein, adding that he trusted Epstein and believed he was a professional person. The first complaints against Siad in France were filed in February. He denied any wrongdoing in multiple recent media appearances, telling one French broadcaster in May that he had never raped anyone in his life. Lawyers representing the former model who filed the first complaint against Siad said they were stunned by news of his death, saying they struggled to find words for the anger and sadness they felt, with alleged victims now denied the chance for a criminal trial. The lawyers expressed strong frustration toward the Paris prosecutor’s office, which had announced in February that it was opening an investigation into Epstein’s French associates. They accused the office of what they called scandalous inaction, arguing it reflected contempt from public authorities toward victims of sexual crimes connected to the trafficking network Epstein and his associates built. Another former model who gave a police deposition in June as part of the investigation into Siad told reporters that his death means any information he might have held about Epstein has now been lost. She said an important link in the chain had vanished before authorities had any chance to recover what he might have known, since he was never formally questioned. She said too much time had already been lost in the investigation and expressed hope that authorities would not wait years longer before searching his home, though she suggested it might already be too late. Anne Claire Le Jeune, a lawyer representing six women who filed complaints against Siad, said her clients had been denied justice. She said her clients found the strength to break a heavy silence surrounding Siad’s ties to Epstein and faced every stage of the legal process with remarkable courage. She called it deeply regrettable that the slow pace of the investigation allowed Siad to die before he could be questioned or detained, depriving the victims of a crucial step in their pursuit of truth and accountability. Another Epstein associate, French modelling agent Jean Luc Brunel, was found hanged in his Paris prison cell in 2022. Brunel, 76 at the time, had spent more than a year in custody while under investigation on suspicion of raping minors and trafficking minors for sexual exploitation, allegations he denied. Brunel founded the modelling agency MC2 Model Management with funding from Epstein and was suspected of helping transport and house young women and girls on Epstein’s behalf. Epstein, who was 66, died by suicide in a New York jail cell in 2019 while awaiting federal trial on sex trafficking charges. This account involves detailed allegations of serious sexual abuse and trafficking. If any of this touches on something you’re personally affected by, I’m glad to help you find appropriate support resources.