At just 14, a vulnerable Brazilian immigrant working multiple jobs to support her family, Marina Lacerda was lured into Jeffrey Epstein’s luxurious New York mansion with promises of easy money for massages—only to endure years of sexual abuse and coercion that shattered her teenage world.T

Abused at just 14 by Jeffrey Epstein, Marina Lacerda now watches in stunned hope as Trump’s signature on the disclosure bill pierces the veil shielding wealthy predators from accountability.

Marina Lacerda, a Brazilian immigrant who arrived in New York as a child, was only 14 when a friend recruited her in 2002 for what seemed like easy money: massages for a wealthy man. That man was Jeffrey Epstein. What followed was years of sexual abuse and coercion at his Manhattan townhouse, where Lacerda became “Minor Victim-1” in the 2019 federal indictment—the key witness whose testimony helped charge Epstein with sex trafficking minors before his death.

Lacerda endured grooming, threats, and pressure to recruit others, supporting her family while trapped in Epstein’s web. She dropped out of high school and lived in fear until Epstein discarded her around age 17, deeming her “too old.” Her evidence was pivotal, yet a 2008 non-prosecution deal initially silenced her.

In September 2025, Lacerda broke decades of anonymity, speaking publicly at Capitol Hill alongside other survivors to demand full release of Epstein files. “We need transparency—not just for victims, but for the American people,” she urged.

After months of resistance, President Donald Trump signed the Epstein Files Transparency Act on November 19, 2025, mandating the Justice Department to release unclassified records within 30 days. Trump, a former Epstein associate, framed it as exposing Democratic ties while yielding to bipartisan pressure.

Initial releases in December 2025 included thousands of pages—flight logs, emails, photos—though heavily redacted and incomplete, drawing criticism from survivors like Lacerda as a “slap in the face.” More batches followed, mentioning powerful figures but revealing no definitive “client list.”

For Lacerda, now 37, the partial disclosures offer stunned hope: a crack in the shield of wealth and influence that long protected predators. Her courage, alongside others, ensures the fight for full accountability continues.