Daniel Siad, a French model recruiter who introduced numerous aspiring models to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein over more than a decade, has been found dead at his home near Paris, French authorities said.

Siad’s body was discovered on Monday at his residence in Colombes, a suburb northwest of the French capital, according to Marie-Céline Lawrysz, deputy public prosecutor at the Nanterre Judicial Court.

Prosecutors said an autopsy would be conducted to determine the cause of death, CNN said in a report.

Siad had recently spoken publicly about his relationship with Epstein, insisting he was unaware that women he introduced to the disgraced financier had allegedly been abused.

In an interview published earlier this year, Siad said Epstein had assured him he had paid for his past crimes following his 2008 conviction and claimed he had never received complaints from anyone he referred.

“I trusted him and believed he was a professional,” Siad said, adding that he believed Epstein worked as a casting director for Victoria’s Secret and modelling agency MC2.

There is no evidence supporting that claim.

French prosecutors confirmed that a criminal investigation launched in February into allegations of human trafficking and criminal conspiracy linked to Epstein will continue despite Siad’s death.

Authorities said 24 women have either come forward or been identified during the investigation, while at least 16 have already been interviewed.

Additional interviews are expected as the inquiry progresses.

The prosecutor’s office said Siad had been placed under surveillance, including telephone interceptions, but investigators had not gathered sufficient evidence to justify his arrest before his death.

Previously released US Department of Justice files show Epstein paid Siad tens of thousands of dollars over several years.

The documents include messages in which Siad recommended young women to Epstein, describing one as a “cute French girl” and another as having potential to work as a model or assistant.

In one exchange, Epstein rejected a suggested candidate, replying that she was “too old.”

Investigators say Siad’s name appears more than 2,000 times in the US Justice Department’s Epstein files.

Russian-born model Svetlana Pozhidaeva, who has accused Epstein of sexually abusing her after being introduced by Siad, said his death deprived victims of an opportunity to see justice served.

“If it wasn’t for him, my life would have unfolded completely differently,” she said, expressing disappointment that the investigation could no longer hold him accountable.

Siad’s lawyer said his client had been willing to cooperate with investigators and maintained his innocence, noting that he had never been prosecuted or formally charged in the French investigation.

Separately, Siad had also denied allegations by another model who accused him of raping her while she was working in France in 1990.

French authorities said the wider investigation into Epstein’s links with the modelling industry remains ongoing.