Parents Are Worried About School Photo Company Lifetouch’s Ties With Epstein

Owned by Shutterfly, Lifetouch is a photography company that takes school pictures (for purchase by parents and to be used in yearbooks). They are the largest such company in the US and every year they take photos of kids in over 50,000 schools. Now, parents are worried about the company’s ties to Epstein.

Concerns have been raised over whether the company should be trusted with photos of children. Huffington Post reports that several school districts have launched investigations into the company.

This is because Lifetouch and Shutterfly are owned by a company, Apollo Global Management, founded by Leon Black, who has financial ties to Jeffrey Epstein, giving him at least $158 million in 2021 — over a decade *after* Epstein was forced to register as a sex offender following a conviction for a sex crime involving a child. Black was forced to step down as CEO after this became public knowledge, though he is still a major shareholder in the company.

Lifetouch says the idea that they have conspired with Epstein is “completely false.” CEO Ken Murphy released a statement saying, “When Lifetouch photographers take your student’s picture, that image is safeguarded for families and schools, only, with no exceptions.”

What do you think?