What is the worst thing that Sasha Riley said happened to her in the audio tapes

Checked on January 16, 2026
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Executive summary

Sasha Riley’s audio recordings allege that the worst thing that happened to them was systematic child trafficking, sexual abuse and exploitation beginning in childhood and continuing between roughly ages nine and thirteen, including an explicit allegation of abuse by Jeffrey Epstein when Riley was about 13 years old [1] [2] [3]. The recordings also name prominent political and judicial figures as participants in that alleged network, but the tapes and the claims they contain have not been authenticated by courts or law enforcement and remain unverified in mainstream reporting [4] [2].

1. What Riley says happened: trafficking, rape and exploitation as a child

Across multiple widely circulated audio clips, Riley recounts being trafficked as a child—first allegedly abused by relatives, then moved into a broader network and sexually exploited between the ages of nine and thirteen, with descriptions of rape and other forms of extreme abuse and exploitation [5] [6] [7]. Several outlets summarize the core allegation as decades-old trafficking and sexual violence that began in childhood and culminated with Riley claiming abuse by Epstein at about age 13, language echoed in the interviews published online [3] [2].

2. Names, networks and sensational details in the tapes

The recordings do not confine themselves to anonymous abusers: Riley reportedly names well-known political and judicial figures as part of the alleged Epstein-era network, a detail that has amplified public attention and controversy surrounding the tapes [1] [7]. Media summaries emphasize that these are extraordinary claims tied to the long-running Epstein scandal and that the naming of public figures is a major reason the audio has gone viral [4] [8].

3. How the recordings surfaced and what is claimed about their provenance

The six unedited audio recordings were published by Substack creator Lisa Noelle Voldeng, who says she personally interviewed Riley and retains the original files, and who has claimed to have shared copies with police and “trusted allies” in several countries [8] [7]. Voldeng’s role as the publisher has been the focus of separate reporting, which notes questions about how the tapes were procured and the absence of independent authentication [9] [3].

4. What independent reporting and authorities have (not) confirmed

Multiple news outlets covering the viral audio uniformly note that the recordings’ claims have not been authenticated by courts or law enforcement and that there are no linked indictments, verified investigations or court filings corroborating the names floated in the tapes [2] [4]. News organizations reporting the story explicitly caution that the allegations remain unverified and that mainstream confirmation is absent [6] [4].

5. Alternative perspectives, editorial context and possible agendas

While the tapes contain grave allegations that, if true, describe some of the worst forms of child abuse and trafficking, the only publicly documented corroboration so far is the publisher’s claim of custody and selective distribution of the files, which raises questions about motive, verification and potential editorial framing by the Substack account that released them [9] [8]. Some coverage highlights Riley’s reported background as an Iraq War veteran and adoption details that have circulated on social media and in the interviews, but those biographical claims likewise lack independent verification in the cited reporting [2] [4].

6. Bottom line: the single worst claim, and the factual limits around it

The single most severe allegation in the tapes is that Riley was trafficked and subjected to rape and sexual exploitation as a child—specifically between ages nine and thirteen—with a claim of abuse by Jeffrey Epstein at about age 13; that allegation is presented in explicit terms in the audio but remains unverified by independent authorities or courts in the available reporting [1] [3] [7]. Reporting to date documents the content of the tapes and their viral spread, but not legal or forensic confirmation of the events described [4] [2].

Want to dive deeper?
What evidence have investigators previously documented in the Jeffrey Epstein network and how do new claims compare?
What standards and methods do journalists and law enforcement use to authenticate historic audio testimonies in abuse cases?
Who is Lisa Noelle Voldeng and what is known about the provenance and chain-of-custody for the Sasha Riley recordings?