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Jeffrey Epstein due in court after sex trafficking arrest

NEW YORK (AP) – Eleven years after letting Jeffrey Epstein off lightly with a once-secret plea deal, the U.S. government is taking another run at putting the wealthy sex offender behind bars.

Law enforcement officials say Epstein was arrested over the weekend on new sex-trafficking charges and is expected to make his first court appearance in New York City on Monday.

Prosecutors are likely to argue that he is a flight risk and should remain in jail instead of being released on bail pending trial.

One law enforcement official told The Associated Press the case deals with allegations that Epstein paid underage girls for massages and molested them at his homes in Florida and New York in the early 2000s.

The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the pending case.

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