Dubai: 'King of Pop' Michael Jackson is among a roster of global music legends whose names and images appear in in a newly released batch of Jeffrey Epstein-related files published by the US Department of Justice.

The records include photographs showing Jackson alongside Epstein, as well as images placing him with Motown icon Diana Ross and former US president Bill Clinton aboard what appears to be a private plane.

Another image shows Jackson standing with Epstein in front of a painting depicting a topless woman reclining on a beach.

The release also features Rolling Stones frontman Sir Mick Jagger.

One photograph shows the 82-year-old rock star dining with Epstein, Clinton and Epstein’s former associate Ghislaine Maxwell. Jagger’s name had previously surfaced in Epstein’s contact book, and officials have stressed that his inclusion in the files does not imply any wrongdoing.

The newly disclosed material was made public on Friday, shortly before a legal deadline, after Congress pressed the Justice Department to begin releasing records linked to its investigation into Epstein.

The disgraced financier died in a New York jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges involving minors. His death was ruled a suicide.

Jackson, who died in 2009 aged 50 following an overdose-induced cardiac arrest, was investigated in the 1990s and again in the mid-2000s over allegations of child abuse. He was never charged, according to the FBI. Authorities have emphasised that the appearance of any celebrity in the Epstein files does not suggest criminal behaviour.

Very little has previously been known about Epstein’s relationship with Jackson, Ross or Jagger. Epstein was known for socialising with high-profile figures across entertainment, politics and finance, including Donald Trump, filmmaker Woody Allen and billionaire Leon Black. None of those individuals have been accused of involvement in Epstein’s crimes.

The files also contain extensive material related to Ghislaine Maxwell, who is currently serving a prison sentence after being convicted in 2021 of child sex trafficking and other offences. Many of the documents remain heavily redacted to protect victims, including a so-called “masseuse list,” grand jury records, flight logs and personal notebooks.

US deputy attorney general Todd Blanche said the review identified more than 1,200 victims and family members, adding that redactions were necessary to safeguard survivors.

More documents are expected to be released.

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