DEPOSITION OF JOHANNA SJOBERG Witness & Accuser — Giuffre v. Maxwell
Johanna Sjoberg was recruited while attending Palm Beach Atlantic University around 2001 under the pretense of a legitimate job as a personal assistant to Epstein.
RECRUITMENT: Sjoberg testified that she was approached on campus by one of Epstein's associates with what appeared to be a genuine employment opportunity. She described being told the position involved administrative and personal assistant duties for a wealthy businessman.
ESCALATION: Sjoberg described how the initially legitimate-seeming job quickly evolved into sexual encounters. She testified about being subjected to sexual abuse by Epstein and provided details about the operations at his residences.
HIGH-PROFILE VISITORS: Sjoberg's deposition included descriptions of encountering high-profile individuals at Epstein's properties. Her testimony regarding these encounters was among the sealed material in Giuffre v. Maxwell and was included in the January 2024 unsealing.
CORROBORATION: Her account demonstrated a key aspect of Epstein's recruitment strategy — targeting young women through seemingly legitimate job offers at colleges and universities near his residences. This pattern was corroborated by other witnesses and victims who described similar recruitment approaches at educational institutions in the Palm Beach area.
Sjoberg's testimony provided important context for understanding the breadth of Epstein's recruitment methods, which extended beyond the payment-for-massage model described by other victims to include more sophisticated grooming through employment offers.