Epstein once attended an elite arts camp. Years later, he used it to find his victims

"Years before they were convicted sex offenders, Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell used his wealth to gain access to a prestigious boarding school for young artists in Michigan, using a rental lodge Epstein donated to the school as a base from which to recruit some of their earliest victims, according to Department of Justice records and former campus administrators."

"It's famous as an incubator for young artistic talent and boasts alumni such as Josh Groban, Norah Jones, Chappell Roan, Felicity Huffman and Da'Vine Joy Randolph. NPR reviewed hundreds of pages of Department of Justice documents on Epstein, interviewed current and former Interlochen officials, and spoke with a woman who says that as a teenager at the school she was targeted by Epstein and Maxwell."

"What emerges is a portrait of Interlochen as an institution that celebrated openness, but that in accepting Epstein's financial support became unwittingly associated with his crimes. Epstein's association with Interlochen dates back to 1967, when as a 14-year-old bassoon player, he attended the school's summer camp. When he renewed his ties to the school in the 1990s, Interlochen viewed him as a loyal alumnus and major benefactor, administrators said."

Jeffrey Epstein renewed ties to Interlochen Center for the Arts in the 1990s and donated a rental lodge that provided a base for recruiting early victims. Interlochen is a nearly century-old boarding and summer program for young artists with notable alumni. Department of Justice records and former administrators report that Epstein lavished donations, gained access to campus spaces, and used influence where administrators believed students were safe. Current and former officials characterized acceptance of his gifts as naive. A woman who testified at Maxwell's 2021 trial alleges she was targeted at age 13 while a student at the school.

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