At least 15 newly-released Epstein files have disappeared from DOJ's website, records show

At least 15 files that were released by the Justice Department Friday in relation to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein were no longer available on the department's website on Saturday, CBS News has determined.

CBS News downloaded the complete set of documents on Friday and compared it to what is available Saturday.

It was unclear why the files are missing. CBS News has reached out to the Justice Department for comment.

In a social media post to its X account Saturday night that seemed to touch on the issue, the DOJ wrote: "Photos and other materials will continue being reviewed and redacted consistent with the law in an abundance of caution as we receive additional information."

One of the missing files showed a mass of framed photos on a credenza desk. The photos showed former President Bill Clinton, and another was of the pope. In an open drawer, there was a photo of President Trump, Epstein, and Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell.

On Sunday, the Justice Department said the Southern District of New York had flagged the image of the framed photos for potential further action to protect victims and it had been put back online.

"Out of an abundance of caution, the Department of Justice temporarily removed the image for further review," the Justice Department said in a statement. "After the review, it was determined there is no evidence that any Epstein victims are depicted in the photograph, and it has been reposted without any alteration or redaction."

Other missing files included photos of a room with what appeared to be a massage table and nude photos and nude paintings.

The episode has deepened concerns that had already emerged from the Justice Department's much-anticipated document release. The tens of thousands of pages made public offered little new insight into Epstein's crimes or the prosecutorial decisions that allowed him to avoid serious federal charges for years, while omitting some of the most closely watched materials, including FBI interviews with victims and internal Justice Department memos on charging decisions.

Some of the most consequential records expected about Epstein are nowhere to be found in the Justice Department's initial disclosures, which span tens of thousands of pages.

Missing are FBI interviews with survivors and internal Justice Department memos examining charging decisions — records that could have helped explain how investigators viewed the case and why Epstein was allowed in 2008 to plead guilty to a relatively minor state-level prostitution charge.

The records, required to be released under a recent law passed by Congress, hardly reference several powerful figures long associated with Epstein, including Britain's former Prince Andrew, renewing questions about who was scrutinized, who was not, and how much the disclosures truly advance public accountability

Among the fresh nuggets: insight into the Justice Department's decision to abandon an investigation into Epstein in the 2000s, which enabled him to plead guilty to that state-level charge, and a previously unseen 1996 complaint accusing Epstein of stealing photographs of children.

The releases so far have been heavy on images of Epstein's homes in New York City and the U.S. Virgin Islands, with some photos of celebrities and politicians.

There was a series of never-before-seen photos of Clinton but fleetingly few of Mr. Trump. Both have been associated with Epstein, but both have since disowned those friendships. Neither has been accused of any wrongdoing in connection with Epstein and there was no indication the photos played a role in the criminal cases brought against him.

Despite a Friday deadline set by Congress to make everything public, the Justice Department said it plans to release records on a rolling basis. It blamed the delay on the time-consuming process of obscuring survivors' names and other identifying information. The department has not given any notice when more records might arrive.