Alex Acosta had multiple opportunities to apologize to Jeffrey Epstein's alleged victims. He didn't.

Alex Acosta.
(Image credit: BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images)

Labor Secretary Alex Acosta seems to think victim blaming is a thing of the past.

On Wednesday, Acosta held a press conference addressing how he handled sexual abuse allegations against Jeffrey Epstein more than a decade ago. While Acosta defended the so-called "sweetheart" plea deal his Florida prosecutor's office arranged with Epstein at the time, he also seemed confident that the entire case would've played out differently in today's culture.

Epstein was arrested over the weekend and accused of running a sex trafficking ring involving minors — charges similar to those he faced in Florida. Yet thanks to a plea deal Acosta's office arranged, Epstein only landed in jail for a few months. Acosta was asked Wednesday if he'd make the same deal today, and said because the case is "so old," there's no way he could surmise an answer.

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Reporter Yashar Ali quickly called foul on Acosta's whole premise.

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At multiple points throughout the conference, reporters prompted Acosta to send a message to Epstein's alleged victims. Acosta avoided doing so, going only so far as to say what happened to them was "horrendous," and said that because the matter was still "in litigation," he probably wouldn't meet with those victims either.

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Kathryn Krawczyk

Kathryn is a graduate of Syracuse University, with degrees in magazine journalism and information technology, along with hours to earn another degree after working at SU's independent paper The Daily Orange. She's currently recovering from a horse addiction while living in New York City, and likes to share her extremely dry sense of humor on Twitter.