Professor Stephen Hawking appears in newly released material from the Department of Justice connected to the Epstein files.
One photograph shows the late physicist reclined on a sun lounger beside two women wearing bikinis, while holding what look like cocktails.
The date of the image and the circumstances in which it was taken have not been confirmed.
What is known is that Hawking’s name is referenced repeatedly in the documents — reported as appearing 250 times — and that he traveled to the US Virgin Islands in March 2006 with a group of scientists to attend a conference.
The conference, titled Energy of Empty Space That Isn’t Zero, was funded by Jeffrey Epstein.
Hawking is also mentioned in a 2015 email, sent by Epstein to Ghislaine Maxwell, in which Epstein proposed a financial reward for anyone who could undermine an allegation involving Hawking.
The email read: “You can issue a reward to any of virginias friends acquaionts [sic] family that come forward and help prove her allegations are false. The strongest is the clinton dinner, and the new version in the virgin isalnds that stven hawking partica-ted in an underage orgy.”
Virginia Giuffre — who has accused Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor of sexual assault — did not directly accuse Hawking of wrongdoing.
It is also important to note that being named in the released files does not, on its own, indicate any criminal conduct.
Separately, in an update related to the former prince, Thames Valley Police said on Tuesday (February 24) that searches at the Royal Lodge in Berkshire had finished following an arrest, though the wider investigation is still described as “ongoing”.
Police said last week that a man in his sixties had been arrested “on suspicion of misconduct in public office” and that searches were being carried out at locations in Berkshire and Norfolk.
Assistant Chief Constable Oliver Wright stated on Tuesday: “Officers have now left the location we have been searching in Berkshire. This concludes the search activity that commenced following our arrest of a man in his sixties from Norfolk on Thursday.
“We understand the significant public interest in this case and our investigation remains ongoing.
“It is important that our investigators are given the time and space to progress their work. We will provide updates when it is appropriate to do so, but this is unlikely to be for some time.”