Epstein Files Reveal Existence Of FBI Seattle Child Trafficking Investigation
Federal lawmakers who forced the release of thousands of internal Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) documents through the Epstein Files Transparency Act (EFTA) have laid a trail of breadcrumbs stretching across the entire country.
One document released through the EFTA reveals the existence of an FBI child trafficking case run by the FBI Seattle Division.
A January 2019 email contains the subject line "Innocence Lost Cases," a reference to the FBI's Innocence Lost Task Force (ILTF), which has since been superseded in Seattle by the FBI Child Exploitation Task Force (CETF) and then the FBI Child Exploitation Human Trafficking Task Force (CEHTTF).
HardPressed published memorandums outlining the procedures of these task forces last week.
In the top right corner of a January 2019 email released through the EFTA, a string of numbers is left unredacted. It reads: 31E-SE-3041310.
This string of numbers and letters is an FBI case number for a child trafficking case run by the FBI Seattle Division.
That can be gleaned through the first two prefix strings of information. "31E" represents an FBI case number classification for child trafficking, predicated under the White Slave Traffic Act. This "31E" case prefix was also used in the numbering convention for one of the FBI's Jefferey Epstein case numbers (31E-NY-3027571).
The next two prefix letters "-SE-" indicate the FBI Division responsible for leading the case. "SE" is the code for the FBI Seattle Division. "NY" is the code for the FBI New York Division.
So we learn from the files released through the EFTA that "31E-SE-3041310" is a FBI Seattle child trafficking investigation, part of the FBI's Innocence Lost initiative, with ongoing new "extortion" intelligence associated with the case in January 2019.
Beyond that, HardPressed does not know any more public information and has requested the entire 31E-SE-3041310 case file from the FBI through a Freedom of Information Act request.
The FBI uses an Enterprise Theory of Investigation within Innocence Lost case investigations according to a 2005 statement from FBI Assistant Director Chris Swecker. That process can place less of an emphasis on prosecuting individuals for individual crimes and more of an emphasis on gathering intelligence and penetrating entire criminal groups or enterprises.
U.S. Attorney's in Washington State have filed charges in dozens of White Slave Act (18 U.S.C. § 2421–2424) cases since 2019 according to a HardPressed search of federal court filings. It's unknown publicly if the specific case identified within the Epstein files has been closed, charged, or remains active and ongoing.
The U.S. Attorney's Office in Seattle wrote to HardPressed that FBI case numbers mean nothing to them, and that HardPressed would need to provide a defendant's name to check on the status of the case.
The FBI Seattle did not respond to a request for comment.
Update 6/16/26, the FBI responded, writing: "The FBI does not comment on the content of files which may have been released through a public records disclosure. Please note most investigations are not disclosed until charges are filed. If federal charges have been filed, you may search for court records through the Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) system. If no charges are filed, the existence of an investigation will not be made public."