Thames Valley Police confirmed on Friday in the UK that detectives are still investigating Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the ex-Prince Andrew, over potential misconduct in public office and assessing possible sexual offences, while the US government refuses to release unredacted Epstein files that could inform the probe. Senior officers say the work, which follows Andrew's arrest on his 66th birthday in February, may continue for months and have urged potential witnesses and victims to come forward.

The investigation into the former senior royal centres on his decade as the UK's special trade envoy between 2001 and 2011 and his association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The original misconduct allegation is that Andrew provided commercially valuable information to Epstein while acting in that quasi-diplomatic role, a period now being reassessed in light of newly public 'Epstein files' released by US authorities in heavily redacted form.

Sexual Offenses and Corruption Scrutinized as Police Seek Public WitnessesDetectives warn unprecedented misconduct in public office inquiry into Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor will require a 'hugely thorough' timeline to parse seized evidence.#EuroPostpic.twitter.com/VLdyixUciE

Detectives say they have widened their work to look at 'a number of aspects of alleged misconduct,' including potential sexual wrongdoing and corruption. Officers, including specialists in complex sexual offence investigations, are said to be examining material seized in a week-long fingertip search of Andrew's former 30-room Royal Lodge residence in Windsor.

Assistant Chief Constable Oliver Wright set out the current position in a carefully worded statement. 'Our misconduct in public office investigation is continuing. Misconduct in public office is a crime that can take different forms, making this a complex investigation,' he said.

He added that a 'team of very experienced detectives' is 'working meticulously through a significant amount of information that has come in from the public.' The force, he said, is 'committed to conducting a thorough investigation into all reasonable lines of enquiry, wherever they may lead.'

Police have stressed that any possible victims will be treated with 'care, sensitivity and respect' and are being encouraged to use non-urgent contact channels, including an online portal, if they wish to speak to officers. The language is deliberately reassuring but also a reminder that, at this stage, nothing has been tested in court and nothing is confirmed; all claims remain allegations and should be treated with a degree of caution.

Prince Andrew faces new sex offense probeBritish authorities are reportedly reexamining allegations linked to Epstein, Daily Beast reportsInvestigators are seeking new testimony and evidencepic.twitter.com/8PSBuCi6o8

Alongside the misconduct in public office strand, Thames Valley Police are continuing to assess a report that a woman was taken to an address in Windsor in 2010 'for sexual purposes.' The alleged incident reportedly took place at Royal Lodge, then Andrew's residence. The woman, not British and in her twenties at the time, has not made a formal criminal complaint, but officers have been in contact with her lawyer.

The force told her legal representative that, should she wish to report the matter, 'it will be taken seriously and handled with care, sensitivity and respect for her privacy and her right for anonymity.' In a further statement, officers acknowledged 'how difficult it can be to speak about experiences of this nature' and insisted any approach to police would be 'led by her wishes.'

Source: International Business Times UK