Inside Arts School Where Jeffrey Epstein Allegedly Preyed on Young Teenage Students as Decades of Abuse Claims Are Exposed

Jeffrey Epstein allegedly preyed on teenage students at Interlochen Center for the Arts, where he was both a benefactor and former attendee of its summer camp.

Now, according to a new report, there have been decades of accusations centered around the boarding school, RadarOnline.com can reveal.

One former student, Paul Busch, told NPR that he was s-xually abused by his ballet teacher, Thomas Clower, in 2005 when he was studying to become a professional dancer.

Busch said he'd admired Clower and had a "desire" to "prove" that he was "good enough" and "worthy of love." These things blended into the "perfect condition" for someone to take advantage of, according to Busch.

The teacher became his mentor, and Busch said that he eventually received an "inappropriate" email from Clower asking about his intimate life.

"It's really hard to differentiate what's appropriate and what's not until it's too late," he shared.

Over time, the behavior escalated to Clower putting his hand into Busch's pants and touching his private area.

Clower later pleaded guilty to attempted fourth-degree criminal s-xual conduct.

But Busch seemingly wasn't the only victim at Interlochen.

In 2024, Interlochen launched an investigation into other abuse accusations. According to a report, there have been 70 allegations of s-xual abuse from alumni over 60 years.

On July 28, Interlochen released a statement on the findings.

"Today, we are sharing the outcome of the external investigation into historical reports of s-xual abuse at Interlochen. The investigation began in the summer of 2024 after alumni concerns came to light," the statement read. "While the vast majority of the incidents described in the investigation took place many decades ago, and reports of abuse at Interlochen have significantly decreased over the past 25 years, the passage of time does not diminish the experiences of our alumni. S-xual abuse committed by an adult in a position of power or trust against a student is wrong, then and now."

The school additionally released a statement explaining the late s-x offender's former affiliation with the establishment.

"Jeffrey Epstein attended Interlochen Arts Camp in the summer of 1967. He was a donor to Interlochen Center for the Arts from 1990 to 2003," the statement said. "In 2009, when Interlochen learned of his first criminal conviction, the administration conducted an internal review of our records and removed any recognition of Epstein as a donor from our campus. When Epstein was arrested again in 2019, Interlochen conducted a second internal review. Both reviews found no reports of misconduct at Interlochen involving Epstein in our records."

During the investigation, two female former students reported that they had interactions with Epstein.

One said she met with Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell at the school and was invited to Epstein Lodge, a rental cabin on the campus. On subsequent trips to New York, she claimed that Epstein inappropriately touched her.

Another woman accused Epstein of s-xual misconduct after he paid for her to meet him in New York following her graduation from Interlochen. She alleged she was connected with him by another student.

While Interlochen claimed the "safety and well-being" of students was their "highest priority," Busch believes the school has not done enough.

"They get to say, 'Case closed,'" he told the outlet. "That is completely unacceptable because – guess what? – my life is still open."