NPR Report Details How Epstein Targeted Girls at Interlochen Arts Camp

Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell used visits to the Interlochen Center for the Arts to target girls at the renowned northern Michigan arts camp, according to an NPR investigation that brought new scrutiny to one of the region's most prominent cultural institutions.

The investigation, reported by NPR journalists Ava Berger, Tinbete Ermyas, Adrian Ma and Gabriel J. Sánchez, details how Epstein and Maxwell leveraged their access to Interlochen to make contact with minors. The piece, which includes an audio component, was summarized by a regional station on March 7.

Interlochen, located in Grand Traverse County roughly 15 miles southwest of Traverse City, draws young artists from across the country and world to its summer arts camp and year-round arts academy. The camp's reputation as an elite destination for talented youth made it, according to the NPR reporting, a site Epstein and Maxwell exploited.

Epstein, the financier convicted of sex trafficking, died in a Manhattan federal jail in August 2019 while awaiting trial on federal charges. Maxwell, his longtime associate and alleged accomplice, was convicted in December 2021 on federal sex trafficking charges and is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence.

The NPR investigation sheds new light on how the pair extended their pattern of targeting minors beyond the high-profile social circles most often associated with Epstein's crimes, reaching into an institution deeply embedded in the cultural life of northern Michigan.

Interlochen has not publicly responded to the NPR reporting, and specific details about the dates or number of visits, the identities of any victims, or whether any visits are tied to pending legal proceedings were not available in materials reviewed for this report. The full scope of what NPR's investigation documents, including what evidence the reporters relied upon, warrants close attention from the Grand Traverse community as more details emerge.