In a disturbing new allegation, Prince Andrew has been accused of inappropriate physical contact with a 17-year-old girl during a party at Jeffrey Epstein's New York mansion. Caroline Kaufman, now 32, claims the "creepy" encounter occurred just moments before she was taken upstairs and raped by the billionaire paedophile.
The Alleged Incident at Epstein's Mansion
Caroline Kaufman describes a 2010 gathering at Epstein's Upper East Side residence where dozens of young women were allegedly gathered and instructed to wear eyeliner and identical tight black dresses to "please" the former Duke of York. The aspiring model had been invited under the pretence of a career-enhancing photoshoot but instead found herself at what she characterized as a "seedy" and "trashy" party.
"All These Girls Were There for Him to Choose From"
According to Kaufman's account, Prince Andrew arrived wearing a black tuxedo and circulated among the assembled women. "He asked my age...and when I told him I was 17 he seemed to shy away. He was excited though," Kaufman told The Sun on Sunday. She alleges that as Andrew greeted her, his hand "brushed" across her chest while he looked at her in what she described as a "playful" manner.
"It felt like all these girls were there for him to choose from and it was put on for him," Kaufman recalled, adding that the young women present were treated like "pieces of meat." She remained at the gathering for approximately 40 minutes before being escorted upstairs where she claims Epstein sexually assaulted her.
Legal Proceedings and Wider Context
Kaufman filed a lawsuit in 2020 detailing her alleged recruitment by one of Epstein's associates when she was just 16 years old. The legal documents state she was promised modeling opportunities before being brought to Epstein's $56 million mansion. According to the filing, Kaufman was photographed naked by a woman she believes was Ghislaine Maxwell before being taken to meet Epstein.
The alleged incident occurred during the same period when Prince Andrew reportedly visited New York to sever ties with the disgraced financier. Photographs from December 2010 show the pair walking together in Central Park.
New Photographic Evidence Emerges
These latest allegations coincide with the emergence of previously unseen photographs from the Epstein files. One image shows Prince Andrew and former government minister Peter Mandelson sitting barefoot in bathrobes with Epstein, believed to have been taken during Mandelson's first meeting with the financier around the turn of the century.
Another photograph from the files released under the US Epstein Transparency Act depicts Prince Andrew on all fours, leaning over a woman lying on the ground. A separate image shows Mandelson in his underwear conversing with a young woman at Epstein's Paris apartment.
Aftermath and Denials
Following the alleged assault, Kaufman claims she was given $500 in cash and threatened that Epstein would "kill you and your family" if she spoke about what happened. Her lawsuit states she suffered "extreme distress, humiliation, fear, psychological trauma, loss of dignity and self esteem and invasion of her privacy" from the incident.
Prince Andrew has consistently denied any misconduct or wrongdoing regarding his association with Jeffrey Epstein. Both Andrew and Mandelson remain under police investigation for allegedly leaking sensitive information to the convicted sex offender while holding public office, though both men deny these allegations.
The release of thousands of documents under the Epstein Transparency Act continues to reveal new evidence about the financier's extensive network of powerful associates, with further revelations expected as investigators continue examining the voluminous files.
