Newly released US Justice Department files linked to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein include photographs that appear to show Britain’s Prince Andrew kneeling on all fours over an unidentified child lying on the ground.

The images are part of a disclosure of more than three million pages of records, including videos and photographs, released under the Epstein Files Transparency Act. Epstein died in a New York jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges.

The photographs are undated and provide no context. They show Prince Andrew, formally Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, positioned over a fully clothed girl. In two images, he appears to be touching her stomach, while another shows him looking directly at the camera. The girl has not been identified.

The Justice Department did not say where or when the images were taken. There is no allegation of criminal wrongdoing linked to the photographs, and inclusion in the files does not imply guilt. Prince Andrew has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing connected to Epstein.

The release also includes emails suggesting Epstein offered to arrange meetings between Prince Andrew and a 26-year-old Russian woman in 2010, two years after Epstein pleaded guilty in Florida to soliciting a minor. The messages do not describe illegal activity but are likely to renew scrutiny of the prince’s past association with Epstein.

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said the documents were reviewed to remove material that could identify victims, though many files remain heavily redacted.

Some survivors of Epstein’s abuse have criticised the release, saying victims were exposed while alleged abusers remain unnamed. The Justice Department has defended the process, citing legal and privacy limits.

Review of the documents is ongoing, with further disclosures expected.