Alleged rape victim sues Epstein estate, Britain's Maxwell

A woman who says Jeffrey Epstein raped her when she was a teenager sued for damages on Wednesday as US media reported the disgraced financier's prison guards were asleep instead of checking on him before his apparent suicide.

Jennifer Araoz, now 32, filed a lawsuit against Epstein's estate, former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell and three other unidentified accomplices under a New York law that has just taken effect.

In the filing, seen by AFP, Araoz said she was recruited at 14 by a stranger outside her high school who said Epstein could help her financially and boost her career.

Araoz said Epstein, who was found dead in his prison cell on Saturday as he awaited trial on sex trafficking charges, showered her with gifts and then began demanding massages.

She added that the convicted sex offender, who hobnobbed with numerous politicians and celebrities over the years, repeatedly sexually assaulted her before raping her on her final visit to his house when she was 15.

Araoz filed the lawsuit in a state court in Manhattan, in the first known civil case against the wealthy hedge fund manager's estate under New York state's new Child Victims Act.

She said Epstein's crimes were facilitated by Maxwell, a British-born socialite, and three other women she described as the "recruiter," "secretary" and "maid."