U.S. Attorney General William Barr said he was "appalled" to learn of Epstein's apparent suicide in federal custody.
ADVERTISEMENTAccused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein was found hanged in prison in Manhattan early on Saturday, three officials told NBC News.
The 66-year-old, who was being held on federal sex trafficking charges, was was found at 7.30 am local time and had apparently hanged himself.
Epstein was not on suicide watch at the time of his death, NBC News reported.
His death comes a little over two weeks ago after he was found injured and in a fetal position in his cell at the federal Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan. He was semiconscious with marks on his neck at the time.
The indictment on his case showed that he sought out minors, some as young as 14, from at least 2002 through 2005 and paying them hundreds of dollars in cash for sex at either his Manhattan townhouse or his estate in Palm Beach, Florida, federal prosecutors revealed last month.
Epstein was charged with one count of sex trafficking conspiracy and one count of sex trafficking. He faced up to 45 years in prison if found guilty.
U.S. Attorney General William Barr said he was "appalled" by the apparent suicide in federal custody.
"Mr. Epstein's death raises serious questions that must be answered," he said, adding that he had consulted with the Department of Justice's Inspector General, who is opening an investigation into the circumstances around the death.
The FBI also is investigating, Barr said.