One by one, they stood before a Manhattan federal judge on Tuesday, providing horrific details of sexual assaults that they said financier Jeffrey Epstein had committed against them.

"It was so powerful in there, hearing all the other victims," accuser Jennifer Araoz said.

U.S. District Judge Richard Berman scheduled the hearing after Epstein killed himself in a federal jail cell August 10.

Before dismissing the charges — typically a formality after a defendant's suicide — the judge offered Epstein's accusers their day in court, an extraordinary opportunity to speak about what happened to them.

16 did in person, and more than a half-dozen others spoke through statements that attorneys read. One accuser, using the name Jane Doe, said in her statement, "He died as he lived his life: taking the easy way out."

"It was both empowering and infuriating to know that the person who I needed to hear those words is not here to hear them," accuser Chauntae Davies said.

Courtney Wild cried through her statement, saying, "Justice has never been served in this case."

Another said, "It felt like new trauma all over again," after she learned Epstein killed himself.

Several of the women said they wished they could have confronted him in court. But the women said they were thankful to share their stories with each other and the world.

"All I am going to say is today is a day of power and strength," accuser Teala Davies said.

Epstein was accused of sexually abusing underage girls at his Manhattan mansion. Several of the accusers said he preyed on their vulnerability, flaunting his wealth and deep connections to instill fear.

One anonymous accuser said Epstein would position her on the floor so she would look directly at framed photos of him smiling with celebrities and powerful politicians.

"Pretty upsetting to see how many lives he's devastated and to see how long this went on for and nobody did anything," Davies said.

At the end of the hearing, the judge did not immediately drop the charges against Epstein. Those representing the victims are asking anyone else who wishes to come forward and submit a written statement to the court.