A French modeling scout, Daniel Siad, who was reportedly named more than 2,000 times in the U.S. Department of Justice's files concerning Jeffrey Epstein, has been found dead at his home in Colombes, west of Paris. Prosecutors confirmed his death on Monday. The cause of death is currently unclear and pending an autopsy.
Siad was under investigation in France for accusations that he helped Epstein traffic and abuse women. He had consistently denied any wrongdoing, stating he was unaware of Epstein's dangerous activities. Correspondence between Siad and Epstein, spanning approximately 10 years, ended shortly before Epstein's suicide in a Manhattan detention center in 2019.
Siad's communications with Epstein, included in the Epstein files, reportedly showed him bragging about women he had found. In an email from June 2009, he wrote to Epstein about finding a 20-year-old woman from Latvia who he described as looking younger. In a July 2014 email, Siad used a fishing metaphor to describe recruiting women, expressing frustration about a canceled meeting with Epstein. Epstein reportedly replied, offering to reimburse expenses and valuing their friendship.
Siad maintained his innocence, telling French television in February that Epstein had "used [his] trust" and that he was not in a position to know Epstein was dangerous. He stated in a video shared online that he had "nothing to blame myself for."
Despite his claims, two women accused Siad of grooming them for Epstein. In February, former Swedish model Ebba Karlsson accused Siad of raping her at age 20 and grooming her for Gerald Marie, the former head of the Elite modeling agency. Both Siad and Marie denied these allegations.
Another model, identified only as Juliette, claimed in May that Siad groomed her in 2004 when she was 21. She stated that Siad inquired about her aspirations to move to the U.S. and suggested she might accept opportunities without asking too many questions. Juliette recounted receiving a plane ticket to New York, where she met Epstein. She described Epstein asking for her passport, an act she likened to "hostage taking." After Epstein reportedly told her he couldn't see her but offered her $120 and a limo for shopping, she later visited the building where Epstein worked. She claimed she was given a tour that included viewing photos of women's intimate body parts, and she later felt the need to refuse Epstein's advances when he groped her and offered her a job as a party "escort." She then demanded her passport and left New York.
Stan Pottinger, a lawyer for Epstein's victims, stated in 2016 that he had spoken to Siad, who was described by Epstein associate Jean Luc Brunel as a "scout" or recruiter of women for Epstein.