A French model scout alleged to have provided Jeffrey Epstein with minor victims has fled to Brazil as the first official investigation into one of the pedophile's closest associates is underway, according to the Daily Mail.

Jean-Luc Brunel (Photo via the Daily Beast)

Officials in Paris are investigating model scout Jean-Luc Brunel on charges of rape and sexual assault for crimes that he allegedly committed on French soil, as well as one he may have committed in other countries involving French citizens. Police began their probe shortly after receiving a letter from a former Dutch model, Thysia Huisman, who said that Brunel spiked her drink and then raped her in his apartment just days after the teenager moved to Paris and signed with his agency, Karin Models. -Daily Mail

According to Brunel's accuser, Huisman, she urged authorities to look into Brunel even though the statue of limitations has run out on her specific claims.

Brunel and Ghislaine Maxwell (via the Daily Mail)

Karin Models - which Brunel hasn't been with for a decade - was raided last week by authorities, according to the report.

Brunel's relationship with Epstein was detailed by former Epstein sex slave Virgina Giuffre Roberts - who claimed in a court filing "He would bring young girls (ranging to ages as young as twelve) to the United States for sexual purposes and farm them out to his friends, especially Epstein."

"Brunel would offer the girls "modeling" jobs. Many of the girls came from poor countries or impoverished backgrounds, and he lured them in with a promise of making good money."

This investigation into Brunel runs parallel to one into convicted pedophile Epstein, who at one point gave Brunel $1 million to launch a new modelling agency in the United States. That investment earned Epstein a steady supply of underage girls - as many as 1,000 - who were procured by Brunel, often by bringing minor victims from Europe to the United States by offering them a modelling contract through Karin or another agency, MC2. In one instance, according to claims made by former Epstein sex slave Virginia Roberts in court filings, Brunel provided Epstein with three sisters who were all aged 12 for his birthday. -Daily Mail

In the 1980s Brunel was featured in a 60 Minutes expose after having gained a reputation for sleeping with many of his underage models. His name was prominently featured in a series of phone messages recovered from trash pulls of Epstein's mansion.

There is one that appears to reference underage girls, another noting how much an 18-year-old woman 'loves Jeffrey' and another in which Brunell relays one doctor's professional opinion on how best to treat a sexually transmitted disease. These messages were all obtained by DailyMail.com after filing an FOIA request for Palm Beach records related to Epstein's legal battles in the decade since he left prison. -Daily Mail

"In light of these circumstances of the case, this message reasonably suggested to Edwards that Brunel might have been procuring two eight-year-old girls for Epstein to sexually abuse," said Bradley Edwards, a lawyer representing several Epstein accusers, including Roberts.

"'According to widely circulated press reports reviewed by Edwards, Brunel is in his sixties and has a reputation throughout the world (and especially in the modeling industry) as a cocaine addict that has for years molested children through modeling agencies while acting as their agent — conduct that has been the subject of critical reports, books, several news articles, and a 60 Minutes documentary on Brunel’s sexual exploitation of underage models."