To girls without much money who needed help with college or a career, visiting Jeffrey Epstein's 10,000-acre New Mexico ranch felt like being treated to an exclusive resort — until the trips turned dark.

The victims eventually understood that Epstein had used money and power to exploit them for sex, and in 2006 they began to come forward. At least 10 have alleged that starting in the mid-1990s, Epstein groomed or abused them at the ranch, according to an NBC News review of court testimony, lawsuits and other records. Half were teenagers at the time.

Yet to this day, no one has accounted for the crimes committed at Zorro Ranch, a failure that confounds victims, local officials and the public. Decades of missed chances allowed the ranch to escape scrutiny, prolonging its secrets and delaying justice.