Jeffrey Epstein list: Prince Andrew won’t be newly investigated by UK police following document release
The Duke of York stepped away from royal duties in 2019 following the allegations
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Prince Andrew won’t face a new investigation by U.K. police following his inclusion in the highly publicized release of newly unsealed Jeffrey Epstein documents this week.
"We are aware of the release of court documents in relation to Jeffrey Epstein," the Metropolitan Police said in a statement Friday. "As with any matter, should new and relevant information be brought to our attention we will assess it."
Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre sued the Duke of York in 2021 over allegations she was forced to have sex with him while she was a teenager. He settled the lawsuit in 2022.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Andrew continues to deny the accusations.
JEFFREY EPSTEIN LIST: PRINCE ANDREW NAMED IN COURT DOCUMENTS ‘FINAL NAIL IN THE COFFIN,' EXPERT SAYS
Prince Andrew was named in the newly unsealed Jeffrey Epstein documents. (Steve Parsons/Getty Images)
In the unsealed documents, the 63-year-old was accused by Epstein accuser Johanna Sjoberg in a deposition of groping her while she sat on his lap, describing him as a "nymphomaniac."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}SECOND BATCH OF JEFFREY EPSTEIN DOCUMENTS RELEASED RELATING TO CELEBRITIES AND OTHERS ON HIS ISLAND
"At one point, Ghislaine told me to come upstairs, and we went into a closet and pulled out the puppet, the caricature of Prince Andrew, and brought it down," Sjoberg said. "And there was a little tag on the puppet that said ‘Prince Andrew’ on it, and that's when I knew who he was."
Then someone took a photo of Sjoberg, as well as Andrew and Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre, with the puppet.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A photo from 2001 that was included in court files and shows Prince Andrew with his arm around the waist of 17-year-old Virginia Giuffre. Ghislaine Maxwell is standing to the right. (U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals)
"They put the puppet on Virginia's lap, and I sat on Andrew's lap," Sjoberg said. "And they put the puppet's hand on Virginia's breast, and Andrew put his hand on my breast, and they took the photo."
Andrew's attorney hasn't responded to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
Republic, an anti-monarchy group, said Thursday it had reported Andrew to police following the document release.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}In 2019, Andrew stepped back from being a senior royal and no longer undertakes public duties.
In January 2022, "with Queen Elizabeth II's approval and agreement, The Duke of York’s military affiliations and Royal patronages were returned to Her Majesty, and The Duke will continue to not carry out public duties," Buckingham Palace said in a statement on the royal family’s website.
Mugshot of Jeffrey Epstein from 2019 (Kypros/Getty Images/File)
"Prince Andrew has been neatly detached from the royal family and only allowed into the public domain on rare occasions," royal expert Ian Pelham Turner told Fox News Digital this week. "But I think King Charles will watch how the issue unfolds, although I cannot see any knee-jerk reaction or any statement made. The royal family will be consulting their lawyers for rebuffed advice."
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Epstein, an American financier and convicted sex offender, was found dead behind bars in 2019 at age 66.
The U.S. attorney in Manhattan prosecuted Epstein's former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell, 62, for helping recruit his underage victims. She was convicted in 2021 and is serving a 20-year prison term.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Reuters and Fox News' Stephanie Nolasco and Ashley Papa contributed to this report.