Daniel Siad, a 69-year-old French modelling scout who faced allegations of assisting the late US financier Jeffrey Epstein in the trafficking and abuse of women, has been found dead at his home outside Paris. The Nanterre prosecutor's office announced on Wednesday that an investigation into the cause of his death was initiated on Monday evening following the discovery of his body. An autopsy is scheduled to be conducted as part of the ongoing probe.
Siad had been the subject of an investigation led by the office specializing in human trafficking and was targeted by multiple complaints, which included allegations of rape. Although he had not yet been questioned by investigators, Siad had publicly denied the accusations, stating that he was eager to be heard and to present his side of the story. His name was prominently featured in over 1,000 documents released during the declassification of the Epstein files.
In communications with Epstein, Siad had described his methods for recruiting women in terms of fishing, writing in 2014, "In This busyness I feel like fisherman some time I cache quick, some time no fish." Despite his association with the disgraced financier, Siad had insisted that Epstein had "taken advantage of his trust."
The death follows the 2022 death in prison of another French modelling agent, Jean-Luc Brunel, who was arrested by French authorities in 2020 on accusations that he procured women for the American billionaire. Jeffrey Epstein himself died in prison in 2019 while awaiting trial for sex trafficking charges.
