a pedophile. >> reporter: alexander ocosta tried to explain his decision. >> professionals within a prosecutor's office decide that a plea that guarantees that someone goes to jail, that guarantees that someone register generally is a good thing. >> reporter: despite a federal law which says victims must be notified of this type of deal, epstein's victims were kept in the dark until after it was signed and approved by the judge. but he did have to pay restitution to the identified victims. meanwhile, in february, 11 years after epstein was sentenced, a federal judge here in florida rule that acosta and other officials violated the crime victims' rights act but not k w knowfying the alleged victims of the plea deal until after it was signed. the judge noted prosecutors mislead the verdicts by allowing them to believe a federal