Jeffrey Epstein accusers speak out in court and say the investigation must continue: 'He did not act alone'

Some of the women who have said they were sexually abused by financier Jeffrey Epstein spoke in an emotional court hearing on Tuesday, saying they have been denied justice while urging prosecutors to continue the investigation.

Epstein's alleged victims spoke in a New York hearing over whether to drop the sex trafficking charges against him after he was found dead in his prison cell earlier this month; a medical examiner determined that Epstein died by suicide. The charges are expected to be dropped, but Judge Richard Berman said that Epstein's accusers could "be heard, if they wish to be" during this hearing, reports The Washington Post.

Among the victims who spoke on Tuesday were two who said that prosecutors must continue the investigation, reports CNN's Shimon Prokupecz. "This is not about how he died but about how he lived," one victim said. "He did not act alone."

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Epstein, a convicted sex offender, had been arrested on sex trafficking charges in July as prosecutors said he sexually abused dozens of underage girls. The Department of Justice is investigating the circumstances surrounding his apparent suicide, and reports have emerged that he was left unwatched in his cell when he was to be checked on routinely. Prior to this case, Epstein had served only 13 months in jail due to a secretly-negotiated plea deal.

Courtney Wild, who says that Epstein sexually abused her when she was 14 years old, also spoke at the hearing, saying that she has been "robbed" of her ability to come face-to-face with him in court, and "for that, he is a coward," the Post reports. She added that she feels "very angry" and "sad", as "justice has never been served in this case." Another alleged victim similarly said she was "robbed" of "justice," reports NBC Washington, while Chauntae Davies said per CNN's Prokupecz that Epstein, who she says raped her, "won in death" but, "I will not be silenced anymore."