Convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein has killed himself in a New York jail where he was being held on sex trafficking charges, it was reported.
The 66-year-old Epstein allegedly ran a sex ring of teenage girls forced to perform sex acts and nude "massages" for him and his famous and wealthy friends.
Epstein died by suicide at a Manhattan jail and his body was found by guards on Saturday morning, according to US media reports.
NBC News reported that he had hanged himself at Manhattan Correctional Center.
The financier - a friend of Prince Andrew, who has denied allegations - had pleaded not guilty to sex trafficking charges involving dozens of girls as young as 14, from at least 2002 to 2005.
Last month, he was found injured in his jail cell following a possible suicide attempt.
The financier had complained about the conditions in jail and appealed a federal judge's decision to keep him locked up on remand while he awaits trial.
He wanted to be under house arrest in his $77million (£64million) mansion on Manhattan's Upper East Side.
The federal judge had told him prosecutors had shown by clear and convincing evidence that he would pose a danger to the community if released pending trial.
Prosecutors also said there was a high risk Epstein would use his wealth to flee.
The sex trafficking charges were recently announced more than a decade after Epstein pleaded guilty to state prostitution charges in Florida.
He pleaded guilty to prostituting minors in 2008 and served an 18-month prison term.
In the latest criminal case, prosecutors accused Epstein of arranging for girls under the age of 18 to perform nude "massages" and other sex acts, and of paying some girls to recruit others.
In a separate court case, a second woman claimed Prince Andrew committed a “sexual act” with her at the home of his paedophile pal Epstein, according to documents.
Johanna Sjoberg gave a sworn deposition the Duke of York fondled her breast after she sat on his knee.
The billionaire’s “sex slave”, Virginia Giuffre (nee Roberts), was allegedly sitting beside them.
She has claimed she was forced to have sex with the royal in London in 2001, which he has denied.
Sjoberg’s claims were part of court documents unsealed on Friday as Epstein awaited trial.
They were part of a defamation case brought by Giuffre against British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, 57, Epstein’s former girlfriend.
Sjoberg alleged the incident occurred at Epstein’s Manhattan mansion in 2001 after she was “lured” by “perfect stranger” Maxwell.
She was 21. Giuffre, one of Epstein's many accusers, was 17 and Andrew was 41. The case was settled out of court in 2017.
Andrew sparked embarrassment for Buckingham Palace after he was pictured strolling with him in New York in 2011 following the paedophile's release from prison.
A palace spokesman said: “Any suggestion of impropriety with underage minors is untrue.”
