A traveling bookmobile displaying copies of the Jeffrey Epstein files stopped in Scranton’s Pine Brook section Sunday as part of a national campaign to educate the public on 3.5 million declassified federal documents.
The “Donald J. Trump and Jeffrey Epstein Memorial Bookmobile,” a box truck converted into a mobile library, was launched earlier this year by the nonprofit organization Institute for Primary Facts. The visit to Scranton comes less than a month before the midterm elections.
Several visitors at a time boarded the mini-library parked outside Retro Cafe on Capouse Avenue, thumbing through white-and-red-bound volumes holding physical copies of the released Epstein files — millions of declassified records and documents related to the crimes of the convicted sex offender that were released in 2025.
Sister Jean Louise Bachetti, I.H.M., said the experience was emotional, but necessary to move toward justice for the victims.
“The wheels of justice grind slowly, but they do grind,” she said.
The government, she said, should never lose its sense of humanity in governing.
Bachetti also wants survivors to know that they are loved and supported by others in the community and in the church.
“These women are loved by a divine creator who loves them unconditionally. How easily they could feel unloved, unheard, inaccessible to justice. I want them to hold fast to the grace of truth and don’t lose heart. Justice will be done,” she said. “They’re in my prayers.”
Sharlene Rochard, who identifies as a survivor of Jeffrey Epstein’s grooming and abuse, said she wants to educate the public on the extent and content of the files, as well as share a message with future generations.
Rochard, a mother of four, will be traveling with the group through Election Day on Nov. 3. A resident of Canada, she said the sacrifices of time and effort are well worth it.
Rochard wants young people to recognize the warning signs of human trafficking and grooming so they can protect themselves and spread the message to their peers.
Rochard, who began modeling when she was 13 and traveling at 16, met Epstein in New York City when she was 17.
She had been taught to respect and trust adults, so when Epstein offered to help with her career, she didn’t think twice about developing a friendship with him.
When he gave her a book about giving massages, she thought it was preparation for a future job.
Looking back, she recognizes there were warning signs she missed, and she wants to raise awareness so others can recognize those red flags before it’s too late.
