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Billionaire Jeffrey Epstein’s child sex trafficking case reveals just the tip of America’s corrupt legal establishment according to a Scottish madame once jailed over an elite New York prostitution ring.

Financier Epstein – who counted Prince Andrew, Donald Trump, Bill Clinton and Woody Allen among his friends – has been accused of abusing dozens of under-age girls, while using top lawyers and political connections to hide his shocking lifestyle in plain sight at the very top of US society.

But one person who has followed the story without an ounce of surprise is Anna Gristina, a former madame who made headlines on both sides of the Atlantic in 2012 when she was sent to prison over an escort agency said to involve bankers, sports stars and royalty.

Anna famously refused to give up her contacts book to cut a plea deal in a case that captivated Manhattan high society for weeks.

(Image: Reuters)

Speaking to the Sunday Mail from her New York home, the 50-year-old mum of four – originally from Kirkliston, near Edinburgh – said: “There are two justices in America – one for the very rich and powerful and one for everyone else.

“People don’t understand the levels of corruption that exist but perhaps the Epstein case is going to finally give the world an insight into that.

“He is a man who’s wealth afforded him protections that allowed him for many years to circumvent criminal scrutiny.

“It appears he can now no longer hide behind a cadre of powerful lawyers and politicians but others will continue to do so, I assure you of that.

“You can’t compare Epstein to me – anyone who has abused children is just the lowest scum.

“But the lawyers he had and the people he was connected to is why he was allowed to continue to walk the streets.

“I was charged with one count of promotion based on circumstantial evidence, yet they gave me $2million bail, despite a squeaky clean record.

“I didn’t even have a speeding ticket but I was abducted off the street and taken to a warehouse and interrogated without a lawyer.

“They gave me a choice that if I co-operated against a number of people and become a confidential informant, I could walk out the door and go on with my life.

“If I didn’t, I would be going to prison on Rikers Island.

“I told them I would rather eat my own tongue than co-operate, that I wouldn’t give up my friends, and I don’t think they were used to that – maybe it’s because I am Scottish.”

Anna served four months in the notorious Rikers Island prison before being released after admitting one count of promoting prostitution.

She had previously ran her operation from New York’s exclusive Upper East Side – which she claims was more of a “matchmaking” firm.

Anna added: “I was denied the right to a fair trial and had no choice in the end but to go for a plea deal because you can only fight with the cards you’re given and they denied us crucial evidence.

“In America, you pay to play, you donate to the cake. If you can do that, you will be OK. If not, you better be careful.

“I had never heard of Epstein, he was someone who would have operated in another world. But the way he has been treated doesn’t surprise me in the slightest because this is America.”

Epstein, 66, made his name at the investment bank Bear Stearns before going on to manage money for billionaire clients.

He became a well-known socialite in Manhattan and Palm Beach, Florida, before the first allegations of sexual abuse came in 2005.

A woman claimed her 14-year-old stepdaughter had been paid £200 to strip and massage Epstein at his mansion.

That triggered an 11-month FBI investigation that revealed other suspected victims under 18.

Under a plea agreement, Epstein registered as a sex offender but struck a non-prosecution deal that meant he avoided federal charges which could have carried a long jail term.

The deal – heavily criticised as too lenient – was made with prosecutors headed by former US labour secretary Alex Acosta, who resigned on Friday over the scandal.

One of Epstein’s legal team was Ken Starr – who previously investigated the Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky scandal.

But in February, a judge ruled prosecutors violated the law by concealing the plea deal from under-age alleged victims.

Anna’s lawyer Peter Gleason, who helped defend her in 2012, said: “If you come to New York and have the misfortune to get involved in the criminal justice system, my advice to you would be to beware – unless you have very deep pockets, there is no justice.

“You might be better off involved in the criminal justice system in Russia and mainland China.

“For political expedience, we may never know the extent of Epstein’s misdeeds because to dig deep could fracture our whole system of government.

“The type of powerful people who were involved there is incredible.

“I was at a function one night when Henry Kissinger was there. He was joking, but he was serious at the same time, that you can get any deal down with a room full of hookers and bags full of money.

“A lot of this stuff is becoming mainstream now but when the abuse of children becomes mainstream and accepted, that is when your society starts to break down.

"Everything else – drugs, sex, corruption – has all become mainstream in America.

“Just about the only thing left now is to protect our children.”

Epstein was charged by the US Attorney’s office for the Southern District of New York with sex trafficking of minors on Monday.

He pled not guilty and could face as much as 45 years in prison if convicted.