Maria Farmer's 1996 Epstein Complaint Vindicated as DOJ Releases Files Decades Later

Maria Farmer, Jeffrey Epstein survivor who first reported abuse to the FBI in 1996, vindicated by Justice Department document release

Epstein abuse survivor Annie Farmer holds up a photo of her younger self with her sister Maria Farmer during a news conference with lawmakers on the Epstein Files Transparency Act outside the U.S. Capitol on November 18, 2025. Heather Diehl/Getty Images

The Justice Department's Friday release of files related to Jeffrey Epstein marked a bittersweet moment for survivor Maria Farmer, whose warnings to the FBI nearly three decades ago went ignored.

Among the thousands of pages disclosed was a 1996 criminal complaint linked to child pornography allegations against Epstein. Although the complainant's name was redacted, Farmer's attorney, Jennifer Freeman, confirmed to CNN that the report originated from her client.

The Complaint That Fell on Deaf Ears

Farmer first contacted the FBI in 1996 after being sexually assaulted by Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, warning agents that they "had committed multiple serious sex crimes" against several girls, including her underage sister.

She reported that Epstein had taken nude and semi-nude photographs of two of her minor sisters, transporting them across state lines. Farmer also alleged he and his associates were involved in the production and distribution of explicit images of minors, potentially qualifying as child pornography.

According to Farmer and her legal team, an FBI agent she contacted abruptly hung up on her, with no follow-up investigation ever conducted.

A Pattern of Abuse Allowed to Continue

The FBI's inaction enabled Epstein and Maxwell to continue their sex trafficking operation for years. This case recalls Epstein survivors confronting Congress as Trump called for the file release, highlighting systemic failures across multiple administrations.

"Consequently, Epstein and his associates were able to threaten Maria and her family with physical harm for decades, forcing her to change residences multiple times and even alter her name," according to the lawsuit Farmer filed against the federal government in May 2025.

Farmer presented a 1997 journal entry documenting her report to the FBI. The lawsuit also included alleged FBI field notes from 2006 confirming she made her complaint in 1996.

Seeking Justice Through the Courts

Freeman, Farmer's attorney, told CNN she had been searching for this crucial document since the DOJ announced it would release Epstein-related files.

Friday evening, she expressed the need for additional information from the files, specifically regarding how and when authorities responded—or failed to respond—to Farmer's complaint.

Farmer's lawsuit against the United States government accuses the Justice Department, U.S. Attorney's Offices, and the FBI of negligence and negligent infliction of emotional distress.

She seeks compensation for the severe health consequences she endured, including complex PTSD, depression, anxiety, and chronic illness that resulted from years of threats and hiding.

The First to Report, the Last to Be Heard

Farmer was the first woman to report Epstein to law enforcement. In 2019, after being diagnosed with a brain tumor, she filed an affidavit in federal court alleging that she and her 15-year-old sister Annie had been sexually assaulted by Epstein and Maxwell in separate locations in 1996.

Her sister Annie joined her in discussing the newly released files with CNN's Jake Tapper, becoming tearful as she reflected on the decades of suffering that could have been prevented.

The partial DOJ release has not included all Epstein-related materials, despite a congressional deadline. Advocates continue demanding full transparency and accountability for the institutional failures that allowed a predator to operate freely for decades.