SerpApi.Org
PARIS—French prosecutors are probing the death of a French modeling scout with ties to Jeffrey Epstein after he was found dead at his home outside the French capital this week.
The body of Daniel Siad was discovered Monday evening by a young woman he was living with in Colombes, a Paris suburb, according to the local prosecutor’s office. Prosecutors said they have ordered an autopsy as part of their investigation.
Siad was a recruiter who Epstein relied on to find teenage girls and young women from Europe and other parts of the world, according to documents released by the Justice Department. Following the release of the documents, several women filed criminal complaints against Siad in France, accusing him of rape and human trafficking.
Siad denied the allegations, telling the news channel BFMTV in May that his relationship with Epstein was “strictly professional.”
Siad said he organized auditions for Epstein on his visits to Paris, adding that he introduced Epstein to between 10 and 15 models.
“Nothing ever happened in my presence. I went with the models and left with the models,” Siad said.
On Wednesday, his lawyer Ménya Arab-Tigrine denied any wrongdoing by Siad, suggesting he might have succumbed to the stress of being under public scrutiny.
“The stigma cast upon him—and by extension, his loved ones—and the daily pressure and anxiety he endured undoubtedly played a role,” she said. “We must await the autopsy results to confirm whether his body simply gave out.”
Siad also recruited models for Jean-Luc Brunel, a French modeling agent and close associate of Epstein. Brunel was found hanged in his Paris prison cell in 2022 as French prosecutors were investigating him on suspicion of raping minors over the age of 15 and sexual harassment. He was considered a witness in an investigation into child sex trafficking.
The Epstein files contain dozens of emails between Siad, Epstein and Brunel.
In one exchange from July 2014, Siad compared himself to a fisherman as he describes his recruitment activities. At one point he mentions a 15-year-old French girl. He also describes paying for the travel expenses of young women from across Europe.
“I will reimburse you of course for any expenses,” Epstein replies. “Please send me the details of the girls names etc.”
Write to Stacy Meichtry at [email protected] and Noemie Bisserbe at [email protected]
