France has launched an investigation on Friday of allegations of rape of minors in connection with the case of multimillionaire Jeffrey Epstein, Reuters reported. 

As the Prosecutor General of Paris Remy Heitz noted in his statement, the decision to conduct a preliminary investigation was made on the basis of details handed over to his office and exchange with the American authorities competent in the so-called Epstein case.

The investigation contains information regarding minors 15 years of age and older.

Other details about the progress of the investigation are not reported.

Earlier media reported that billionaire Jeffrey Epstein once brought three 12-year-old French women from a poor family as a birthday present.

Epstein, who had only served 13 months in prison in the past after pleading guilty to having sex with a minor, hanged himself in a prison cell on August 10, while in custody on federal charges of human trafficking.