THIS MORNING, MORE OF OUR INTERVIEW, HOW SHE SAYS SHE FIT
THE PROFILE OF VULNERABLE GIRLS
PROSECUTORS SAY HE PREYED UPON.
>> Reporter: WHAT KIND OF CHILD
WERE YOU?
WERE YOU? >> MY FATHER PASSED WHEN I WAS
12 YEARS OLD, SO THAT TOOK AN
EFFECT ON ME WHEN I WAS A KID.
>> Reporter: AT 14 YEARS OLD,
JENNIFER ARAOZ SAYS SHE WAS
LOST, AND SHE BELIEVES A FEMALE
RECRUITER FOR JEPFFREY EPSTEIN
LOOKED TO USE THAT VULNERABLE
WHEN APPROACHING HER IN 2001.
>> WHERE ARE YOU FROM?
ASKING ME PERSONAL QUESTIONS.
I THOUGHT, OKAY, SOMEBODY TRYING
TO GET TO KNOW ME.
>> Reporter: IT WAS THE
BEGINNING OF WHAT SHE SAYS WAS A
GROOMING PR INGING PROCESS THAT
EPSTEIN AND HIS NEW YORK CITY
MANSION.
MANSION. >> HE IS POWERFUL, WEALTHY, A
GREAT GUY, ALMOST LIKE A
FATHERLY FIGURE TO HER, WHICH
HAS MEANING FOR ME AT THAT TIME
BECAUSE I WAS MAYBE LONGING FOR
THAT, WHICH I WAS.
SO I JUST EVENTUALLY TRUSTED
HER.
HER. >> Reporter: WHEN YOU WENT THERE
THE FIRST TIME, WHY DID YOU
THINK YOU WERE GOING?
HOW DID SHE HAVE YOU GO THERE?
>> MORE OF JUST LIKE A MENTOR
ALMOST, SOMEBODY THAT COULD HELP
ME.
ME. SAYING, LIKE, YOU KNOW, HE’S
HELPED ME, I’VE STRUGGLED.
ALMOST LIKE SHE WAS SIMILAR TO
ME.
ME. >> Reporter: ARAOZ SAYS THE
RECRUITER WAS WITH HER WHEN SHE
FIRST STARTED VISITING EPSTEIN,
WHO SHOWERED HER WITH
COMPLIMENTS.
COMPLIMENTS. DURING MOST VISITS, HIS
SECRETARY WOULD GIVE HER $300 OR
LEAVE THE MONEY FOR HER IN A
DRAWER.
DRAWER. >> BY THAT TIME --
>> Reporter: WHEN YOU WENT
ALONE, WAS THERE A TRUST THAT
HAD BUILT UP?
>> FOR SURE.
I DIDN’T FEEL I HAD ANYTHING TO
FEAR.
FEAR. I FELT ALMOST LIKE A FRIEND, YOU
KNOW.
KNOW. DIDN’T DO ANYTHING FOR ME NOT TO
TRUST HIM.
TRUST HIM. I FELT OKAY.
I FELT TOTALLY FINE GOING THERE.
>> Reporter: DID YOU EVER THINK,
WHY IS THIS OLDER MAN --
>> I DID.
>> I DID. >> Reporter: -- WANTING TO HANG
OUT WITH THIS 14-YEAR-OLD?
>> I DID.
>> I DID. I DIDN’T OVERANALYZE IT
BECAUSE -- I DID AND I DIDN’T
CARE REALLY.
CARE REALLY. I JUST KNEW THAT I WAS YOUNG.
I, YOU KNOW, NEEDED THE MONEY.
I THOUGHT MAYBE JUST HE NEEDED
COMPANIONSHIP.
COMPANIONSHIP. I WASN’T SURE WHAT IT WAS.
I REALLY DIDN’T ASK ANY
QUESTIONS.
QUESTIONS. >> THE FIRST TIME YOU WENT THERE
ALONE, IS THAT WHEN SOMETHING
SEXUAL HAPPENED FOR THE FIRST
TIME?
TIME? >> HE BROUGHT ME UP TO THE
UPSTAIRS ROOM, WHICH HAD THE
MASSAGE ROOM.
MASSAGE ROOM. HE WOULD TELL ME, LIKE I WANT TO
SHOW YOU MY FAVORITE ROOM IN THE
HOUSE.
HOUSE. I GUESS HE WAS GETTING MORE
COMFORTABLE.
COMFORTABLE. AFTERWARDS, HE BASICALLY SAID,
TRANSITIONED INTO, YOU KNOW, DO
YOU GIVE GOOD MASSAGES?
>> PROMISES TO HELP HER BECOME A
MODEL OR ACTRESS AND HELP HER
FAMILY FINANCIALLY ALSO KEPT HER
COMING BACK, SHE SAYS, EVEN
AFTER HE BEGAN SEXUALLY ABUSING
HER.
HER. >> I WASN’T THINKING, THIS IS
BELITTLING.
BELITTLING. I WAS JUST A LOST KID, YOU KNOW.
I JUST -- IT JUST SEEMED OKAY, I
DON’T KNOW.
DON’T KNOW. >> Reporter: AND HE HAD
SUGGESTED HE MIGHT HELP YOU,
SORT OF HIS PROMISE HANGING OVER
ALL OF THAT.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. SO I JUST -- I SAID, THIS CAN
ONLY BE BENEFICIAL, YOU KNOW.
THIS IS A GOOD THING.
JUST STICK IT THROUGH, YOU KNOW.
IT’LL GET EASIER, IT’LL GET
BETTER.
BETTER. SO I JUST KEPT ON GOING.
YEAH.
YEAH. >> Reporter: IT WAS A PROCESS,
IT SOUNDED LIKE.
>> IT WAS.
YEAH, IT WASN’T AN OVERNIGHT
THING.
THING. THAT’S WHY I FEEL LIKE IT WAS
REALLY WELL THOUGHT OUT, YOU
KNOW, WELL KIND OF PLANNED, YOU
KNOW, TO REALLY MAKE ME FEEL AS
COMFORTABLE AS POSSIBLE.
ALMOST TO KEEP ME COMING BACK.
I DIDN’T REALLY THINK, YOU KNOW,
THAT, YOU KNOW, HER AND HIM
WOULD CONSPIRE TO HAVE ME GO
THERE TO DO SUCH WEIRD THINGS,
YOU KNOW, THAT ENDED UP
HAPPENING.
HAPPENING. >> Reporter: ARAOZ, DRAWN INTO A
WORLD SHE SAYS OTHERS AROUND
EPSTEIN FACILITATED.
EPSTEIN FACILITATED. DO YOU THINK THOSE AROUND HIM,
IF THEY KNEW, DO YOU WANT THEM
TO BE HELD RESPONSIBLE?
>> I NEVER, HONESTLY, EVEN
THOUGHT ABOUT THAT.
YOU KNOW, WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO
IT, YES, THERE’S A LOT OF PEOPLE
THAT YOU COULD POINT FINGERS AND
BLAME, YOU KNOW.
BUT I’M NOT BLAMEING ANYBODY.
I’M SURE THEY KNEW THOUGH.
THAT’S MORE ON THEIR CONSCIENCE.
>> Reporter: NOW THAT SHE’S
SPEAKING OUT, ARAOZ SAYS SHE’S
FOUND HER STRENGTH.
>> I KNOW THAT I’M DOING THE
RIGHT THING, AND I FEEL GOOD
ABOUT IT.
ABOUT IT. I FEEL GOOD.
I FEEL BRAVE.
I FEEL STRONG.
MORE THAN EVER RIGHT NOW.
>> Reporter: DO YOU FEEL AFRAID
OF HIM?
OF HIM? >> NO, I DON’T.