Dr. Henry Jarecki, a 91-year-old philanthropist with strong ties to the British Virgin Islands, is facing accusations of rape in a lawsuit filed in a Manhattan federal court.
An unnamed woman has accused Dr. Jarecki of repeatedly raping her between 2011 and 2014. Jarecki’s attorney has vehemently denied the allegations, calling them false and baseless.
According to multiple news reports, including an article from The Wall Street Journal, the woman alleges that convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein introduced her to Jarecki for mental-health treatment. Instead of providing the help she sought, the lawsuit claims Jarecki sexually abused her. The complaint further alleges that Jarecki used his friendship with Epstein to obtain young females for sexual abuse.
Jarecki’s attorney, Sarita Kedia, issued a strong denial on behalf of her client. “The allegations will be shown to be entirely false and baseless. Dr. Jarecki never engaged in any abusive conduct with the complainant or any other person,” Kedia stated.
While Dr. Jarecki’s name appears in Epstein’s now-public address book and in flight logs of Epstein’s private planes, his dealings with Epstein were not previously known to the public. Epstein, who was convicted of sex offenses, died in 2019.
Dr. Jarecki is well-known in the British Virgin Islands, where he owns the popular Norman Island and Guana Island. He is also the founder of the Youth Empowerment Foundation, a privately funded program in the BVI that provides opportunities and activities for young people.
More to come as this story develops.