Why Epstein, But Not Jackson?

We judge sex crimes according to archetype, not evidence.

Michael Jackson at the Brit Awards, 20 February 1996. Photo: Fiona Hanson, via Alamy

Earlier this year, media and social media exploded over the Epstein Files. Thousands of documents were released which, according to internet sleuths, would provide evidence that the people in Epstein’s orbit were complicit in his crimes against young women and teenage girls. Anyone who expressed scepticism was described as “paedophile adjacent.” I was one of those people, and was briefly banned from X for expressing a lack of interest in the files.

All of this happened against a curious backdrop: Epstein’s crimes—while predatory and immoral—were not actually instances of pedophilia at all. Pedophilia refers to sexual attraction to pre-pubescent minors, i.e. those that are sexually immature. Epstein’s conviction involved the solicitation of a sexually mature minor. The distinction matters. The intuition that sex crimes against pre-pubescent children are categorically worse isn’t just a matter of emotional disgust. Crimes against pre-pubescent children are not only violative, they are corrupting, in the sense that adult sexuality is introduced into someone’s life before they are physically and psychologically ready.

The law, in most jurisdictions, reflects this understanding. In New South Wales, the state in which I live, sexual intercourse with a child under 10 years of age carries a maximum sentence of 25 years, one of the heaviest penalties in our criminal code. While equivalent sentences for children under 14, and under 16 respectively, attract progressively lower maximum sentences. The law is, in this sense, a practical translation of a philosophical judgement: that the younger the child, the greater their vulnerability, the more profound the betrayal, and the more severe the wrongdoing.

Which brings me to Michael Jackson. As of May 27, 2026, the new biopic Michael has grossed $790 million worldwide, making it the second highest grossing film of 2026, and the fourth highest grossing biopic of all time. Of course, the film does not address the child molestation accusations made against Jackson during his lifetime. And hardcore fans still insist, in 2026, that he was innocent.