Daniel Siad

Daniel Siad
Born
Daniel Amar Siad

1957[1]
French Algeria
Other namesAmar Siad, Siad Amar[2]
CitizenshipSweden, France, Algeria[3]
OccupationModel scout

Daniel Siad (Arabic: دانيال سياد; born Daniel Amar Siad) is a Swedish-French[4] modeling scout with Jewish Algerian origins. He describes himself as a Berber Jew.[5][6][7][8] He has been identified in declassified United States Department of Justice documents as a scout and recruiter of young women and girls for convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein's network.[9][10] Epstein associate Jean-Luc Brunel identified Siad to investigators as a "scout or recruiter of girls and/or women for Jeffrey Epstein."[8] Siad worked under "What’s Up Management" modeling agency.[11]

Siad has also been reported as a former fashion photographer, project manager for a Russian fashion television channel, and financial consultant, with residences in Stockholm and ties to Paris and Barcelona.[12][13][14] As of February 2026, he has not been charged in relation to Epstein's crimes.[10] In February 2026, former Swedish model Ebba P. Karlsson accused Siad of raping her in the swimming pool of a villa in Cannes, France in 1990. Karlsson filed a complaint with the Paris prosecutor's office for rape and trafficking against Siad.[15]

Early life and activism

Siad was born in Algeria, he immigrated to Sweden in 1980. He has described himself as a Jewish Berber, and has often framed his personal trajectory through that heritage. After settling in Sweden, he became active within Amazigh and Jewish diaspora networks and cultural circles, maintaining close ties to these community.

From 2017 to 2020, he was appointed as the diplomatic representative of the Movement for the Self-Determination of Kabylia (MAK) in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain. He left the movement after being mentioned in the Epstein files.[16][17] He is also mentioned as a speaker at a CMA conference in 2018, and presented on that occasion as a diplomat and activist committed to Amazigh culture, language, and identity.[18]

Background

Siad has been described in court documents and media reports as a key associate who operated primarily in Europe, forwarding profiles, photographs, and sometimes videos of potential models and others to Epstein, often via email. He has been mentioned in the files around 2000 times[19] and his activities spanned the late 2000s to at least 2017 and included scouting in locations such as Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Latvia[20], South Africa (particularly Cape Town), Barcelona, Ibiza, Paris, Morocco, Cuba, and others.[21][22][23][24][25]

In a 2009 email, Siad informed convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein of plans to scout in small villages across Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary during June and July.[21][26] He contacted modeling agencies in Sofia, Bulgaria, in 2010, including Next One Agency, and sent photos of candidates to Epstein while organizing meetings.[22] In South Africa, Siad sent pictures from Cape Town, describing the "potential of girls" as "huge," with Epstein critiquing appearances in responses.[6]

In Barcelona, where Siad settled around 2016–2017, he contacted modeling agencies, housed young models in his small apartment, and sent photos and details to Epstein, including comments on ages and appearances (e.g., noting one 20-year-old "seems minor"). He organized travel, provided financial assistance to some women, and received payments via a Dubai bank account.[27][28] Siad also scouted in other locations, such as Cuba post-2016 and Morocco, and forwarded profiles for events like Formula 1 hostessing.[27][29]

In 2015, Siad met a 16-year-old New Zealand model and her friend in Paris, forwarded their modeling profiles to Epstein, who deemed them "too old."[30]

Connection to Epstein and Brunel

Siad is explicitly described in a Department of Justice file as a "scout or recruiter of girls and/or women for J. Epstein," per an email from Epstein associate Jean-Luc Brunel, the French modeling agent who died in prison in 2022 while facing charges related to rape and trafficking of minors connected to Epstein.[6] Siad exchanged emails and communications with Brunel and forwarded modeling profiles and travel arrangements involving young women to Epstein.[31][32]

Siad's name gained attention in February 2026 following a release of Epstein files, which included repeated mentions of his scouting role across multiple countries.[31] Coverage highlighted potential exploitation concerns in Poland - prompting Prime Minister Donald Tusk to announce an investigative body.[33][34][35]

Little public information exists on Siad's personal background beyond associations with fashion and modeling, including roles as a project manager at World Fashion Channel and consultant activities. Siad has ties to Stockholm, Sweden, where he has resided, and past connections to Paris and Barcelona.[28] An unverified photograph purportedly showing Siad with Woody Allen has circulated online amid the file releases.[10][23]

As of February 2026, no public record indicates that Siad has been charged or arrested in connection with Epstein's crimes.[28] His mentions derive from email and document evidence in the unsealed files rather than formal legal proceedings against him.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Ratsit.se". www.ratsit.se (in Swedish). Retrieved 2026-02-07.
  2. ^ "Tunisia, model scouting and the Epstein Files: Tracing a transnational recruitment network". Retrieved 2026-02-10.
  3. ^ "Tunisia, model scouting and the Epstein Files: Tracing a transnational recruitment network". Retrieved 2026-02-10.
  4. ^ "Tunisia, model scouting and the Epstein Files: Tracing a transnational recruitment network". Retrieved 2026-02-10.
  5. ^ Adrien Bez (10 February 2026). "«Recruteur de filles», né en Algérie, plainte pour viol... Qui est Daniel Siad, rabatteur présumé de Jeffrey Epstein ?". Le Figaro (in French). Retrieved 10 February 2026.
  6. ^ a b c "How Jeffrey Epstein used South Africa as his hunting ground". Daily Maverick. 3 February 2026. Retrieved 7 February 2026.
  7. ^ "Jeffrey Epstein had a facilitator of girls in Barcelona". ara.cat. Retrieved 7 February 2026.
  8. ^ a b "Epstein files reveal limited Polish links, including emails, model contacts, and meeting with former tennis star - English Section". www.polskieradio.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 2026-02-07.
  9. ^ "Epstein files reveal limited Polish links, including emails, model contacts, and meeting with former tennis star". Polskie Radio. Retrieved 7 February 2026.
  10. ^ a b c "Who is Daniel Siad? 'Epstein trafficker's' photo with Woody Allen, emails with Jean-Luc Brunel viral". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 7 February 2026.
  11. ^ Teigen, Espen (2026-02-10). "Slik rekrutterte Jeffrey Epstein norske og svenske jenter til sex og prostitusjon". Document (in Norwegian Bokmål). Retrieved 2026-02-10.
  12. ^ "ENQUÊTE FRANCETV. Dans les dossiers Epstein, l'ombre de Daniel Siad, chasseur de mannequins soupçonné d'avoir été un recruteur de l'homme d'affaires" [FRANCETV INVESTIGATION. In the Epstein files, the shadow of Daniel Siad, a model scout suspected of having recruited for the businessman, looms large.]. Franceinfo (in French). 2026-02-09. Retrieved 2026-02-10.
  13. ^ Teigen, Espen (2026-02-10). "Slik rekrutterte Jeffrey Epstein norske og svenske jenter til sex og prostitusjon". Document (in Norwegian Bokmål). Retrieved 2026-02-10.
  14. ^ "Affaire Epstein : Daniel Siad, ce Franco-Algérien photographe dans une agence de mannequins qui recrutait des jeunes filles pour le financier américain à Barcelone". lindependant.fr (in French). Retrieved 2026-02-10.
  15. ^ "Justice: C'est comme su on m'avait coupe la tête, victime du rabbatteur prësume de Jeffrey Epstein, l'ex mannequin Ebba Karlsson témoigne". Liberation.fr, 11.2.2026.
  16. ^ Siwel, Agence (2017-06-01). "Nomination de représentants diplomatiques de la Kabylie à travers le monde". SIWEL (in French). Archived from the original on 2026-01-31. Retrieved 2026-02-11.
  17. ^ "Cité dans l'affaire Epstein, Daniel Siad écrit au président de l'Anavad". Siwel.
  18. ^ CMA (24 June 2018). "Conférence internationale: Le droit des berbères dans les pays de Tamazgha (nord de l'Afrique)," (in French). Retrieved 2026-02-11.
  19. ^ "Affaire Epstein : double crise au Royaume-Uni, la famille royale «inquiète», Starmer sous pression".
  20. ^ Sedliņa, Anita (2026-02-01). "Epstīna pēdas Latvijas modeļu industrijā: ko patiesībā nozīmē 2011. gada skandāli šodien". Delfi (in Latvian). Retrieved 2026-02-10.
  21. ^ a b "How Warsaw played a key role in the Epstein trafficking machine". TVP World. Retrieved 7 February 2026.
  22. ^ a b "България в досиетата Епстийн: Модните агенции в София и мистериозната "принцеса"". Vesti.bg. Retrieved 7 February 2026.
  23. ^ a b "Tunisia, model scouting and the Epstein Files: Tracing a transnational recruitment network". Inkyfada. Retrieved 2026-02-10.
  24. ^ Lesser, Gabriele (2026-02-09). "Neue Epstein-Akten: Epsteins Kreise ziehen auch nach Polen". Die Tageszeitung: taz (in German). ISSN 0931-9085. Retrieved 2026-02-10.
  25. ^ "Polskie wątki w aktach Epsteina. „Skaut" szukał kobiet w małych wioskach". Bankier.pl (in Polish). 2026-02-09. Retrieved 2026-02-10.
  26. ^ "Epstein európai kerítőhálózata: lengyel falvakig vezetnek a nyomok". hvg.hu (in Hungarian). 2026-02-09. Retrieved 2026-02-10.
  27. ^ a b "Jeffrey Epstein had a facilitator of girls in Barcelona". ara.cat. Retrieved 7 February 2026.
  28. ^ a b c "Daniel Siad, el francoargelino que captaba víctimas para Epstein en España: "La chica tiene 20, pero parece menor"". El Español. 4 February 2026. Retrieved 7 February 2026.
  29. ^ Llimós, Albert. "Jeffrey Epstein had a facilitator of girls in Barcelona". Ara in English. Archived from the original on 2026-02-05. Retrieved 2026-02-07.
  30. ^ "The Epstein files and NZ: Managers, models and the Kiwi billionaire". The Spinoff. 5 February 2026. Retrieved 7 February 2026.
  31. ^ a b Crowe, David (February 4, 2026). "'A special place in hell': New taskforce to hunt down 'scouts' who sent girls to Epstein". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 9 February 2026.
  32. ^ "Epstein files reveal limited Polish links, including emails, model contacts, and meeting with former tennis star". pl:Polskie Radio. February 5, 2025. Retrieved 9 February 2026.
  33. ^ "Poland to set up body to look into Epstein files". Notes From Poland. 3 February 2026. Retrieved 7 February 2026.
  34. ^ "Epstein európai kerítőhálózata: lengyel falvakig vezetnek a nyomok". hvg.hu (in Hungarian). 2026-02-09. Retrieved 2026-02-10.
  35. ^ Lesser, Gabriele (2026-02-09). "Polen: Epstein-Vertrauter lockte Mädchen an – Regierungschef Tusk reagiert". www.morgenpost.de (in German). Retrieved 2026-02-10.
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