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THE Paris “House of Sin” where Prince Andrew was entertained by his paedo pal Jeffrey Epstein has been sold at a £2 million discount after being blighted by its disturbing past.
Warped billionaire Epstein is said to have raped underaged girls at the stunning apartment near the Arc de Triomphe and committed his worst sex crimes there.
Dan Charity
Dan Charity
Dan CharityWe found the luxury property with its own massage room – once adorned with its late owner’s creepy skull and eyeball artworks – shuttered and empty.
And The Sun can reveal Andrew could soon be drawn into a new probe into the awful deeds committed within its palatial walls.
The spectre of another probe into his brother’s links to sick sex fiend Epstein will dismay The King as he continues his cancer battle.
French police have been asked to reopen an investigation into the suicide of Epstein’s French “pimp” Jean-Luc Brunel, 74.
The fashion agent was found hanging in his cell in Paris’s La Santé Prison in February 2022 after supplying underage girls to Epstein.
Prince Andrew’s accuser Virginia Roberts Guiffre – who claims she was trafficked to the prince for sex – also claimed to have been abused by Brunel.
The Paris apartment where both Andrew and Brunel met Epstein has now been sold by Epstein’s estate to a Bulgarian investor for £8.2 million – £2 million less than its asking price.
The new owner is Bulgarian plastic packaging tycoon Georgi Tuchev, who bought it through a deal brokered by posh agents Sotheby’s International for a £360,000 fee.
Lawyers working for JEP – a company set up by Epstein – with its headquarters listed at the property’s address in swanky Avenue Foch brokered the sale.
A Paris source involved in the sale told the Sun: “It’s claimed that some of the money from the proceeds will eventually be used to compensate victims of Epstein’s sex ring.
“Clearly, the history of the building didn’t help with the sales process and it sold for substantially less than the asking price.
“Its dark past will have something to do with that – as well as the fact that the building has long been regarded as a crime scene.
“Epstein’s madam Ghislaine Maxwell and Prince Andrew were also guests there – what happened within these walls is an important part of the story.”
The Duke of York was told by Epstein to treat the second-floor apartment “as his own” – and most of his stays came after his host was convicted of abusing young women in 2008.
Andrew’s 62-year-old pal Maxwell – Epstein’s British longtime girlfriend currently serving 20 years for sex trafficking in a US jail – was also a regular guest.
A French judicial enquiry into his activities opened in August 2019, when prosecutors heard allegations that Brunel and Andrew both abused Guiffre.
Brunel’s lawyers have claimed “major dysfunctions” of justice had taken place, and demanded an “administrative investigation” into the scandal.
Andrew denies all wrongdoing saying he could not recall meeting Guiffre despite a notorious picture showing them together – then paid a reported £12 million settlement when she sued.
Both the duke and Brunel spent time at Epstein’s Paris apartment around the time of the alleged offences, though there is no suggestion Andrew was involved in crimes committed there.
Brunel was arrested in December 2020 by a child sex cops while trying to board a plane to Dakar, Senegal, telling detectives “I’m going on holiday”
He was indicted by French authorities after being said to have supplied a string of young girls to Epstein’s global underage sex ring using his model agency connections.
One of the allegations was said to involve flying three under-aged sisters from a Paris housing estate to America to be abused by Epstein as “a birthday present”.
Giuffre claimed she had “sexual relations with Brunel on several occasions”, between the ages of 16 and 19, according to legal papers filed in the US and France.
Giuffre’s lawsuit also alleged several sex trysts with Andrew in the early 2000s when she was trafficked to him by American financier Epstein.
Like Andrew, Brunel denied any wrongdoing – and like Epstein Brunel was found dead in a prison cell while awaiting criminal trial.
Searches were carried out at the Paris mansion block when the probe was first launched.
A French investigating source said yesterday: “The Epstein apartment remains of interest.”
Rex Features
Frenchman Jean-Luc Brunel (L) was described as a pal and long-term business associate of Epstein, pictured here with Ghislaine Maxwell at the notorious ‘Paedo Island’
Brunel – wearing the yellow jumper – pictured on a private jet with Epstein and MaxwellAndrew and Epstein: a decades-long friendship
Prince Andrew's was introduced to Epstein in 1999 by Ghislaine Maxwell.
The Duke of York had a well-documented friendship with the convicted sex offender.
They were known to socialise together, and Prince Andrew faced significant scrutiny and criticism for his association with Epstein, especially after Epstein’s arrest and subsequent death.
Prince Andrew has denied any wrongdoing and stated that he did not witness or participate in any illegal activities.
However, the controversy surrounding their relationship has persisted.
Several women accused Epstein of sexual abuse and trafficking, with some alleging that they were also introduced to Prince Andrew in connection with Epstein.
Epstein’s criminal activities and subsequent legal proceedings, including his arrest and eventual death in custody, also kept the spotlight on his associates, including Prince Andrew.
In 2019, in the infamous BBC Newsnight special, the Duke of York spoke for the first time about his relationship with Epstein and allegations which have been made against him over his own conduct.
The interview was widely regarded as a “car crash” as many viewers felt that Prince Andrew showed a lack of empathy towards Epstein’s victims and failed to acknowledge the gravity of the situation.
Prince Andrew also made statements during the interview that were widely criticised, such as his assertion that he did not regret his friendship with Epstein and his explanation for staying at Epstein’s New York residence after Epstein’s conviction.
Throughout the interview, the Duke’s responses were perceived as inconsistent and at times contradictory.
And his failure to directly address the specific allegations against him and to provide convincing explanations for his actions left many unanswered questions.
According to court records, the Duke of York agreed to pay a cash settlement to his accuser Virginia Giuffre, formally ending a civil case brought against him in the US.
On February 15, 2022, it was reported in a joint statement that both sides had negotiated an out-of-court settlement, with the Duke donating a significant sum to Giuffre’s charity.
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