The blackmailed would worry that there would be a "deadmans switch" set up that would automatically release the material if not periodically confirmed. Obviously Epsteins deadmans switch was either someone he couldn't really trust, was flawed, or never really existed. If he was smart it would release in steps and be totally digital and dispersed around to many places. If it was me I would have incriminating videos of someone lower on the totem pole released first so that people knew you were serious if they put you in jail. This is why he was locked up then killed after a period in jail, they wanted to see if he had a real deadmans switch. You would need something automatically released and they would need to be low enough so they couldn't get you killed when you burn them. This way everyone else would have to believe you had more automatic release set up.

If somebody got ensnared in that sort of thing, I don't think they'd be quick to gossip about it.

He’s been a known sex trafficker with close ties to US politicians for decades. You think the CIA would not look into him?