Dox47 wrote:
I could see building a defense around ignorance, I can't imagine there were signs up at Epstein Island advertising the underage girls on offer, and IIRC none of the girls was prepubescent where it would be obvious.
There's an interesting comment I've quoted before from Epstein's former friend Donald Trump where Trump acknowledges he knows Epstein likes his women "on the younger side" (Trump's words). A prosecutor could argue that it was common knowledge and that Epstein's friends (including Bill Clinton and Andrew) must have suspected something.
But, younger in this context probably just pertains to the "age-gap" rather than the girls being under-aged. In this context only Ghislaine Maxwell and Epstein himself knew that and probably kept that information to themselves to protect their own backs.
I think if Andrew just came clean and said he thought the girl was 21 (rather than pretend he never saw her before) he wouldn't be in this mess. I think he's embarrassed about his close friendship with both Epstein and Maxwell so its more guilt by association. So while the Queen is taken away his titles and patronage I doubt the criminal charges would stick.
Where he would come unstuck is if evidence came out that Giuffre communicated her age to Andrew and/or a witness testified that Andrew knew her age then things become more sticky for him.