Epstein’s crimes are sweeping and flagrant, but not drastically different from what commercial sexual exploitation looks like every single day in cities across America. Women and girls, mostly of color and poor, are bought and sold in a sex trade that targets and recruits the most vulnerable among us. Men, many rich and powerful, fuel the market for exploitation each time they exchange money for sexual access.

The arrest of Jeffrey Epstein has renewed scrutiny of how he was treated by the office of Mr. Vance, the Manhattan district attorney.

As a campaigning Mayor de Blasio divides his time between city and national concerns, here’s a question that spans both.

Was he serious about investigating Donald Trump for rape? And will he ensure equal treatment for all rape complaints?