French model recruiter with close ties to Jeffrey Epstein found dead

A French model scout with documented connections to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has been found dead in a Paris suburb, according to French prosecutors. Daniel Siad, aged 69, was discovered at his residence in Colombes on Monday, with authorities now investigating the circumstances surrounding his death.

Siad had been identified as one of several French individuals accused of facilitating Epstein's trafficking and abuse of women. According to multiple accounts, Siad introduced women to Epstein, who subsequently abused them. The model recruiter maintained his innocence, claiming Epstein had deceived him regarding his intentions and that he had no knowledge of Epstein's dangerous nature.

At the time of his death, Siad was under investigation in France on charges of rape and human trafficking, allegations he consistently denied. He had not yet been questioned by investigators but expressed a desire to present his account of events. Documents released from the declassified Epstein files revealed that Siad regularly sent photographs of women to Epstein, with correspondence suggesting he viewed his recruitment activities as comparable to fishing.

For some victims, Siad's death represents a lost opportunity for accountability. A former French model who says Siad recruited her in 2004 expressed concern that another potential source of information about Epstein's network had disappeared. A Swedish model who filed the first complaint against Siad in February, accusing him of rape when she was 20, described frustration at the timing of his death just as legal proceedings appeared imminent.

Siad is not the first person in the modeling industry connected to Epstein to die suddenly in France. In 2022, modeling agent Jean-Luc Brunel died by suicide in a French prison following his arrest on allegations of procuring women for Epstein. Epstein himself died in a U.S. prison in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.