Model Recruiter Who Introduced Young Women to Epstein Found Dead in France

Discovery of Daniel Siad’s Death

Healfromzero.com – A prominent model recruiter who introduced young women to the late Jeffrey Epstein was discovered deceased at his residence near Paris on Monday. Daniel Siad, a French professional who spent more than ten years connecting models with the disgraced financier, was found in his Colombes home. Marie-Céline Lawrysz, deputy public prosecutor at the Nanterre Judicial Court, confirmed the discovery to CNN on Wednesday. Authorities plan to conduct an autopsy to establish the precise cause of death.

Siad’s Relationship with Epstein and the Modeling Industry

CNN’s Katie Polglase conducted a recent interview with Siad, during which he expressed confidence that two women he had recommended to Epstein—both of whom later told CNN they had been abused—had not suffered harm at Epstein’s hands. Despite Epstein’s 2008 conviction for sex crimes, industry professionals like Siad maintained business connections with him. They invited Epstein to fashion events and permitted him to work with their agencies. Siad stated that Epstein had assured him he had compensated for his offenses and promised “this would never happen with anybody” he referred to him.

“I trusted him and believed this guy was a professional person,” Siad told CNN in an interview published in June. “I never heard anything from anyone I introduced to him who came back to me that they had a bad situation. I believed this guy is a professional person.” Siad had understood Epstein to serve as a casting director for Victoria’s Secret and the modeling agency MC2.

Investigation and Accusations

CNN discovered no evidence supporting Siad’s claim about Epstein’s role. The Paris Public Prosecutor’s office announced that broad Epstein-related investigations launched in February concerning human trafficking and criminal conspiracy allegations would proceed. To date, 24 women have either come forward or been identified following prosecutors’ review of information and public call for victims.

At least 16 women have been interviewed by investigators, with additional interviews scheduled. However, the prosecutors’ office indicated they had not yet gathered sufficient evidence to arrest Siad. “Daniel Siad was the subject of special investigative techniques, including telephone intercepts, although to date these have not produced evidence justifying his immediate arrest,” the office stated.

Department of Justice documents reveal Epstein paid tens of thousands of dollars to Siad. In one message, Siad wrote: “Cute French girl in Marrakesh… She said that she will (be) happy to meet you.” Siad also mentioned that Epstein requested assistance finding an assistant. A 2018 email showed Siad searching for a “good looking young assistant” for Epstein.

Another message shows Siad sending Epstein a photograph of a woman, describing her as “very polite” with “potential” as a “model” or “assistant.” “Too old,” Epstein responded. According to DOJ files, Siad regularly forwarded Epstein photographs of young women he encountered while traveling, some posed provocatively. CNN affiliate BFMTV reported that Siad’s name appears more than 2,000 times in the DOJ’s Epstein files.

“If it wasn’t for him, my life would have unfolded completely differently,” Svetlana Pozhidaeva, a Russian-born model who previously told CNN that Siad introduced her to Epstein and that the disgraced financier abused her, said Wednesday.

Pozhidaeva added that Siad’s death meant he could not be held accountable. “I wanted for justice to be served, for there to be some kind of investigation and achieve some closure,” she said. Siad’s lawyer, Ménya Arab-Tigrine, stated in a Wednesday declaration that his client had been willing to “subject himself to the grueling media spotlight…to see the truth come to light.” “We must await the autopsy results to confirm whether his body simply gave out,” Arab-Tigrine said, noting that his client was innocent and had not been prosecuted or “formally implicated in any legal proceedings.”

Epstein’s connections to the modeling sector remain part of ongoing investigations, including a criminal probe initiated this year in Paris examining information related to Siad, according to the city’s chief prosecutor. Siad was also confronting accusations of abuse. A model previously accused him of rape when she worked in France in 1990, an allegation Siad denied. CNN’s Katie Polglase, Barbara Arvanitidis, Elina Baudier Kim, Curt Devine and Isabelle Chapman contributed reporting.