Scientist Stephen Hawking, surrounded by two women in bikinis in a photograph from the Epstein papers

BarcelonaThe name of scientist Stephen Hawking appears nearly 250 times throughout the thousands of documents belonging to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, published by the U.S. Department of Justice. These files do not prove that Hawking committed any criminal activity, but they do confirm once again a minimal connection between the British scientist and the American financier. This information, which had already been published, was reported on Wednesday by the newspaper. Daily Mail A photograph from Epstein's archives has surfaced, showing Hawking smiling and surrounded by two women in bikinis. The published files do not specify when or where the photograph was taken. However, it is known that the astrophysicist visited the island of Saint Thomas and Epstein's private island, Little Saint James, in 2006 to participate in a conference with twenty other scientists. According to a post on the Jeffrey Epstein Foundation blog, the purpose of the meeting on the island was "to discuss, relax on the beach, and hold a retreat." At the time, the magnate was already under investigation for sex crimes but had not yet been convicted. Beyond the image published by the Daily Mail, In two photographs that had already been released previously, Hawking appears, on the one hand, taking a submarine ride around the tycoon's private island and, on the other, with several diners around a table.

According to emails sent by Epstein, Virginia Giuffre, one of the magnate's victims, accused Stephen Hawking of participating in an orgy with minors. Epstein vehemently denied this and suggested to his partner and associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, that they offer a financial reward to Giuffre's friends who helped "prove" the accusations were false.

Jokes about child sexual abuse and ALS

When the first images of Hawking on Epstein's island were published in 2015, some media outlets suggested that the British scientist had sexually abused and assaulted minors, as the magnate had already been under investigation for this matter for some time and details were beginning to emerge about what happened at the parties held there.

The Daily Mail The report also states that in an email Epstein sent to Andrew Farkas, a real estate investor, the pedophile explained what some media outlets were reporting, and Farkas, mocking the consequences of the amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) that Hawking suffered from, "replied:"