New York Times columnist recalls Jeffrey Epstein saying that sex with teenage girls was historically acceptable and that criminalizing the act went against cultural norms

• Jeffrey Epstein once told a New York Times reporter that criminalizing sex with teenage girls was a deviation from cultural norms that at times throughout history had been considered acceptable.
• New York Times reporter James B. Stewart wrote his account of an interview with Epstein that took nearly a year ago in a new report published on Monday.
• Stewart paraphrased Epstein saying that prohibiting sexual contact with teenagers was a "cultural aberration."
• Epstein also touted several other high-profile industry connections according to Stewart, claiming that he had been an adviser to Tesla CEO Elon Musk and saying that he "spoke often" to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
• Stewart had initially agreed to speak to Epstein "on background," though he said he considered the agreement void following Epstein's death by an apparent suicide on Saturday morning.
• Epstein, 66, was being held at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan as he awaited trial for sex trafficking and conspiracy charges. Epstein had pleaded not guilty to the charges, which carried a jail sentence of up to 45 years.
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Jeffrey Epstein once told a New York Times reporter that criminalizing sex with teenage girls was a deviation from cultural norms that at times throughout history had been considered acceptable.

New York Times reporter James B. Stewart wrote an account of an interview with Epstein that took nearly a year ago in a new report published on Monday. Stewart said in his piece that Epstein appeared "at ease" talking about his interest in young women.

"He said that criminalizing sex with teenage girls was a cultural aberration and that at times in history it was perfectly acceptable," Stewart wrote. "He pointed out that homosexuality had long been considered a crime and was still punishable by death in some parts of the world."

Stewart added that Epstein had also offered him an invitation to a dinner with director Woody Allen, though Stewart declined, an anecdote which he said illustrated Epstein's desire to "enhance his own importance to gain attention."

Epstein also touted several other high-profile industry connections to Stewart during their conversation, claiming ties to Tesla CEO Elon Musk during a period of time when Musk was looking to take the electric car company private, along with claiming that he "spoke often" to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. A spokesperson for Musk told Business Insider that it was "incorrect to say that Epstein ever advised Elon or Tesla on anything."

Stewart had initially agreed to speak to Epstein "on background," though he said he considered the agreement void following Epstein's death by an apparent suicide on Saturday morning.

Epstein, 66, was found unresponsive in his cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan on Saturday morning, where he was being held as he awaited trial for sex trafficking and conspiracy charges. He was transported to the hospital and was pronounced dead.

Read more: Jeffrey Epstein died by apparent suicide in jail. Here's how the prison system makes that possible.

Epstein had previously pleaded guilty to two state charges of soliciting prostitution in 2008 and registered as a sex offender as part of a deal cut with the US Attorney's Office in Miami. He had been sentenced to 18 months in prison but only served 13 months in a private wing of the Palm Beach County Jail where he was allowed to work in an office six days per week.

Epstein was arrested last month on charges of sex trafficking and conspiracy to commit sex trafficking, which prosecutors allege involved girls as young as 14. The alleged victims were recruited to provide "massages" to Epstein that would devolve into sexual abuse, according to unsealed court documents. Epstein pleaded not guilty to the charges, which carried a prison sentence of up to 45 years.

Epstein had been denied bail after US District Judge Richard Berman announced in court on July 18 that Epstein posed a flight and public safety risk.

Epstein was found injured in his cell on July 24 after a suspected suicide attempt. He was taken off of suicide watch days later, according to the New York Times.

On Saturday, Attorney General William Barr announced in a statement that he was "appalled" to learn of Epstein's death while in federal custody and said that the Office of the Inspector General would launch an investigation.

"Mr. Epstein's death raises serious questions that must be answered," he wrote.