Convicted American financier Jeffrey Epstein may have passed his victims for sexual exploitation to Egyptian billionaire Mohamed Al-Fayed, The Times reports, citing testimony from one of the women who claimed to have become victims of Epstein's network.

The woman, who spoke to the media under the pseudonym Natalie, said she met Epstein at age 17 while working as a model. She claims she soon came under the financier's influence and entered his circle.

According to the woman, in 1997, Epstein's assistant sent her to Saint-Tropez, France, to Al-Fayed's yacht under the pretext of potential career opportunities. There, she claims, she was sexually assaulted. Later, upon seeing a photo of Al-Fayed in the news, she stated that he was the man she had been introduced to at the time.

The outlet notes this is the first publicly known testimony directly linking Epstein's and Al-Fayed's sexual exploitation networks. Investigators in Europe are examining possible connections between their circles and alleged schemes for transporting women, including through private terminals at British airports.

Since Al-Fayed died in 2023, the number of accusations against him has grown sharply, with hundreds of women alleging sexual abuse, while British and French police are examining possible episodes of human trafficking and facilitation of sexual exploitation.