PAEDOPHILE Jeffrey Epstein died after hanging himself in his New York prison cell today while awaiting trial on sex charges.

The billionaire's shock death comes just two weeks after the 66-year-old jetsetter was placed on suicide watch when found slumped in jail with neck injuries.

11 Epstein had pleaded not guilty to child sex trafficking charges in New York Credit: AP:Associated Press

11 Epstein was being held at the Manhattan Correctional Center Credit: Getty - Contributor

At the time, it was not clear whether the bruises were self-inflicted or from an assault by another inmate - reported to be a hulking ex cop facing the death penalty over four drug killings

News of Epstein's apparent suicide will spark outrage among his "victims" who will be furious he has dodged justice.

A stretcher carrying Epstein was spotted being wheeled out of the Manhattan Correctional Center around 7.30am local time this morning.

Photographs - published in the US - show Epstein, still in his orange prison uniform, lying with his eyes closed.

Paramedics were seen using breathing apparatus in what appeared to be an attempt to revive him.

The ambulance then took him to New York Downtown Hospital where some reports say he was in a state of "cardiac arrest."

FOUND IN CELL

The US Department of Justice confirmed Epstein was found "unresponsive" in his cell at around 6.30am following an "apparent suicide."

Life saving measures were carried out in the cell before he was transferred to hospital with "life threatening injuries."

He was subsequently pronounced dead by hospital staff and the FBI is now investigating the incident.

The New York City medical examiner's office told Fox News that an autopsy is pending to determine the cause of death.

Epstein's death comes a day after hundreds of pages of court documents were unsealed alleging new details of sexual abuse claims against Epstein and several associates.

It is not yet clear whether the authorities had put in additional safeguards to watch the twisted financier - an ex pal of Prince Andrew - after the first incident.

Martin Weinberg, Mr Epstein’s defence lawyer, has not not immediately responded to a request for comment in the US.

11 The US tycoon was a former friend of Prince Andrew Credit: Jae Donnelly

11 Twisted Jeffrey Epstein pictured with his former partner Ghislaine Maxwell Credit: Getty - Contributor

11 Prince Andrew and Virginia Roberts during a visit she made to London with Epstein Credit: Rex Features

Law enforcement officials later confirmed Epstein had taken his own life at MCC Manhattan, where he had been held without bail pending trial on child sex-trafficking charges.

The medical examiner's office in Manhattan also confirmed Epstein's death.

Earlier it had been claimed Epstein's life may be in danger as his powerful pals do not want him to reveal their secrets.

Epstein was busted on July 6 over the alleged sexual abuse of dozens of young girls in his Upper East Side townhouse and his waterfront mansion in Palm Beach, Florida, between 2002 and 2005.

Court documents allege at least 40 underage girls were brought to Epstein’s mansion for sexual encounters.

SHOCK DOCUMENTS

He had pleaded not guilty to child sex trafficking charges in New York and could face 45 years in prison if found guilty.

On July 18, a federal judge said that the disgraced financier presented a "danger to the community" and must stay in one of New York's toughest prisons while he awaits trial.

Epstein's apparent suicide came hours after legal papers claimed Prince Andrew groped a woman on his lap as she played with a Spitting Image puppet of him.

Johanna Sjoberg alleged he grabbed her breast in 2001 at the New York home of Epstein, according to court papers.

Unsealed documents reveal Andrew allegedly touched Johanna, then aged 21, when they posed for a picture.

Archive video shows Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein ogling cheerleaders at a Mar-A-Lago party in 1992

In her testimony, she said Andrew and Virginia Giuffre - formerly Virginia Roberts - were sat on a couch with the puppet on her lap.

She added: “And so then I sat on Andrew’s lap - and I believe on my own volition - and they took the puppet’s hands and put it on Virginia’s breast, and so Andrew put his on mine.”

Almost 2,000 pages of a lawsuit were released in a defamation case involving Ms Giuffre, who in 2015 claimed Andrew slept with her three times, and Epstein’s ex-lover Ghislaine Maxwell.

11

The prince strongly denied having sex with her in London and New York when she was 17, and a year later at an orgy on Epstein’s private island in the Virgin Islands.

Another document describes an alleged sexual encounter between Ms Giuffre, now 35, and Andrew in a bathtub.

On Friday we reported how Epstein wanted to pay an underage “sex slave” Ms Giuffre to have a baby for himself and his Brit socialite lover to bring up, shock court papers claim.

The twisted tycoon allegedly offered the teen a mansion and a monthly allowance to go through with the sordid deal.

11 Virginia Roberts holds a photo of herself taken a year after she claims she was first abused by Epstein Credit: Getty - Contributor

11 Johanna Sjoberg, pictured in 2007, claims Andrew groped a woman on his lap as she played with a Spitting Image puppet of him Credit: Splash News

Ms Giuffre claims the American billionaire began abusing her when she was 15.

The 35-year-old also alleges she was warned if she ever left Epstein she would have to sign over the baby to him and his then girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell.

Ghislaine - who has since split with Epstein - is the daughter of disgraced media tycoon Robert Maxwell.

Mrs Giuffre said she was aged 18 or 19 when Epstein made his bizarre baby proposal, reports the Mirror.

The allegations were made in a lawsuit filed in Florida in 2009 but emerged after Epstein, 66, was charged with underage sex trafficking charges, which he denies, last month.

Giuffre told lawyers: “He came up with a proposition that I thought was disgustingly sick.

"He offered me a mansion and money every month, a monthly allowance, (for me) to bear one of his children.

Who is Jeffrey Epstein and what is he accused of? Jeffrey Epstein is a US financier who was convicted of soliciting an underage girl for prostitution in 2008. He was arrested on July 6, 2019 for sex trafficking minors in Florida and New York. Epstein was arrested on July 6, 2019 on sex trafficking charges. Court documents allege that at least 40 underage girls were brought to Epstein’s mansion for sexual encounters. He was arrested at Teterboro Airport in New Jersey. FBI agents are also said to have broken down the door to his Manhattan townhouse. He pleaded not guilty to child sex trafficking charges in New York and could face 45 years in prison if found guilty. On July 18, a federal judge said that the disgraced financier presented a "danger to the community" and must stay in one of New York's toughest prisons while he awaits a trial over the sex trafficking accusations. The shamed financier was locked up amid fears he would flee the country.

"The proposition was that if anything ever happened between Jeffrey and I, that I would have to sign my child over to him basically and that the child would be his and Ghislane’s and I would be looking after it as nothing happened between Jeffrey and I.”

Epstein's offences are alleged to have been carried out during his friendship with the Prince, however there is absolutely no suggestion the royal was aware of any offences.

Earlier this month we reported how it was claimed Epstein wanted a baby-making factory to spread his DNA - and to have his penis frozen after his death.

He confided in scientists that he planned to impregnate dozens of women at his New Mexico ranch, it's claimed.

He wanted up to 20 women to be pregnant with his children at a time - in a bizarre sci-fi-like plot to improve the human race with his genes, the New York Times said.

Timeline of the allegations against Jeffrey Epstein The allegations against him go back to the 2000s 2005 - Parents of a 14-year-old girl told police in Florida that Epstein had molested their daughter at his Palm Beach home. A police search of the property found photos of girls throughout the house. 2006 - Charged with multiple counts of unlawful sexual acts with a minor. 2007 - Epstein’s lawyers put together a plea deal for Epstein, who was the 54. He agreed to plead guilty to two felony prostitution charges in state court, In exchange, he and his accomplices received immunity from federal sex-trafficking charges that could have sent him to prison for life. 2008 - Appears in court to plead guilty on two lesser counts and sentenced to a 18 months in jail and was released early in 2009 July 2019 - Arrested charges of child sex trafficking and conspiracy to commit sex trafficking. Prosecutors accused him in a grand jury indictment of paying dozens of girls as young as 14 to engage in sex acts with him at his New York and Florida properties from 2002 to 2005. Pleaded not guilty and could face up to 45 years in prison if convicted. More than a dozen women have now come forward with more sex abuse allegations. August 2019 - Hundreds of pages of court documents were unsealed alleging new details of sexual abuse claims against Epstein and several associates. August 10 2019 - The twisted tycoon dies after apparently hanging himself in his prison cell.

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Multiple sources told the paper that convicted paedophile Epstein - currently in jail facing child trafficking charges - would boast of his sick plans at champagne-fuelled parties.

The shamed financier apparently began sharing his vision for his 33,000sq ft Zorro Ranch near Santa Fe in the early 2000s.

He would allegedly tell scientists and businessmen he wanted the vast New Mexico property to be turned into his own personal baby-making factory.

US Attorney's Office and FBI give update on charges against Jeffrey Epstein related to sex trafficking of underage girls

11 The 66-year-old had denied the charges against him Credit: AP:Associated Press

11 Epstein had been on suicide watch while being in New York Credit: Rex Features

11 Epstein pictured with Donald Trump and Melania in 2000 Credit: Getty - Contributor