Jeffrey Epstein continued to sexually abuse young women while serving a jail sentence in Florida, according to a survivor who has publicly recounted her experiences for the first time, raising fresh questions about the work-release programme that allowed the convicted sex offender to spend much of his sentence outside prison.

Roza Gilles, now speaking openly after years of silence, said she was first assaulted by Epstein in 2009 at an office run by the Florida Science Foundation, a nonprofit he headed while on work release.

She had travelled to the United States from Uzbekistan after being recruited by a modelling agency linked to French agent Jean-Luc Brunel, who had longstanding ties to Epstein, according to a CNN report.

According to Gilles, the agency saddled her with thousands of dollars in debt for visa and accommodation costs, leaving her financially trapped.

When she struggled to find modelling work, she accepted what she believed would be a weekend receptionist job at Epstein’s office to supplement her income.

On her first day there, Gilles said she encountered Epstein wearing an electronic ankle monitor, unaware he was serving a jail sentence after pleading guilty to soliciting prostitution from a minor.

She alleges that Epstein sexually assaulted her that day, beginning what she described as months of repeated abuse.

“He had no remorse,” Gilles told CNN. “The things he did to me left scars I will never be able to move on from.”

Her account suggests Epstein continued abusing women even while under court supervision.

Two other women, who spoke anonymously to CNN, also alleged they were assaulted at the Florida Science Foundation office during the same period.

The survivors described the office as an active workplace where visitors came and went regularly.

They said uniformed Palm Beach County sheriff’s deputies assigned to monitor Epstein were often stationed nearby while the abuse allegedly took place.

Gilles recalled one occasion at Epstein’s Palm Beach mansion when she saw a sheriff’s deputy in the kitchen and believed help had finally arrived.

Instead, she watched the officer exchange pleasantries with Epstein before leaving.

“After I saw that sheriff, I understood that no matter what you do, this man is never going to be arrested,” she said.

Epstein’s work-release arrangement stemmed from his widely criticised 2008 plea deal negotiated by then-US Attorney Alex Acosta.

Under the programme, Epstein was permitted to work long hours at the Florida Science Foundation while wearing an ankle monitor.

His work schedule gradually expanded until he was spending only about eight hours each day in jail before later being allowed limited visits to his Palm Beach mansion.

The programme required him to meet only business associates and prohibited contact with friends, family, girlfriends and minors.

Off-duty sheriff’s deputies were hired to monitor visitors to his office, with the Florida Science Foundation paying more than $128,000 for the security detail.

A later review by Florida authorities found no criminal misconduct by sheriff’s personnel involved in the programme, though critics argued the arrangement gave Epstein extraordinary privileges.

The Justice Department later concluded that Acosta exercised poor judgement in negotiating the plea deal, particularly by failing to notify victims before deciding against federal prosecution.

However, investigators found no professional misconduct by prosecutors.

Gilles said her vulnerability stemmed from the modelling agency’s financial control over her.

She recalled Brunel offering assistance after learning of her mounting debts, reinforcing what she believed was the agency’s influence over every aspect of her life.

Brunel was arrested in France on rape and sexual assault charges before being found dead in prison in 2022.

After moving to Miami, Gilles said Epstein continued assaulting her regularly, with the abuse lasting even after she returned to New York following the end of his house arrest.

She believes she encountered other young immigrant women at Epstein’s properties who appeared to be in similar circumstances.

Federal documents released this year include emails showing modelling scouts introducing young women to Epstein.

Civil lawsuits filed by other women also allege they were sexually abused during his work-release period, including inside the Florida Science Foundation office.

Gilles eventually escaped after establishing a successful modelling career and becoming financially independent.

She later built a new life as a fitness coach in the US Midwest, but kept her experiences secret from nearly everyone, including her family.

She said the public release of government files containing her name and correspondence with Epstein reopened old wounds, adding that survivors should have been allowed to tell their own stories on their own terms.

While she has not yet joined other Epstein survivors in public advocacy efforts, Gilles said she hopes to do so one day.

“I’m extremely proud of what each one of them is doing,” she said. “Courage is contagious.”