A professional model recruiter who for over a decade arranged for the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein to meet multiple models was found dead in his home near the French capital on Monday.
Daniel Siad’s body was found in his house in a local suburb, according to a statement from a deputy public prosecutor at a regional judicial court on Wednesday. An autopsy will be performed on the body to determine the cause of death.
In a recent interview, Siad said he had no reason to believe two women he had recommended to Epstein—who had stated that Epstein abused them—had been harmed by him. Even after Epstein’s 2008 conviction on sex crimes, modeling-industry insiders like Siad continued seeking business ventures with him, invited him to fashion events, and allowed him to associate with their companies.
Siad maintained that Epstein had assured him he had paid for his crimes and promised that nothing improper would happen with anyone referred to him. He stated that he trusted Epstein and believed he was a professional, adding that he never received complaints from anyone he introduced to the financier. Siad also noted that he believed Epstein was a casting director for major fashion and modeling brands, though no evidence has been found to support that claim.
Files released by the Department of Justice show Epstein paid tens of thousands of dollars to Siad. In one message, Siad wrote about a young woman in Morocco who would be happy to meet Epstein. Siad separately mentioned that Epstein had asked him for help finding an assistant. In a 2018 email, Siad wrote that he was looking for a good-looking young assistant for Epstein, and in another message, sent a photo of a woman describing her as polite with model potential, to which Epstein replied that she was too old.
Siad repeatedly sent Epstein photos of young women encountered during his travels, according to federal files. His name appears more than 2,000 times in official records linked to the late financier. Epstein’s ties to the modeling industry remain part of ongoing investigations, including a criminal probe launched this year in France reviewing information related to Siad.
In addition to his connections with Epstein, Siad was facing separate allegations of abuse, including an accusation by a model regarding an incident in 1990, which Siad denied.