Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Victims praised as Maxwell convicted of sex trafficking
PROSECUTORS paid tribute to the “bravery” of Ghislaine Maxwell’s victims yesterday as she was convicted of luring young girls to massage rooms for disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein to molest.
The 59-year-old British socialite, who was labelled “dangerous” and a “predator” by the prosecution during her three-week trial, helped entice vulnerable teenagers to Epstein’s various properties for him to sexually abuse between 1994 and 2004.
A statement from the US attorney’s office said: “A unanimous jury has found Ghislaine Maxwell guilty of one of the worst crimes imaginable – facilitating and participating in the sexual abuse of children. Crimes that she committed with her long-time partner and co-conspirator, Jeffrey Epstein.
“The road to justice has been far too long. But, today, justice has been done. I want to commend the bravery of the girls – now grown women – who stepped out of the shadows and into the courtroom.
“Their courage and willingness to face their abuser made this case, and today’s result, possible.”
Maxwell’s New York trial heard how she summoned a 14-year-old girl to an orgy, groped another victim and laid a schoolgirl outfit out for a third accuser before a sexualised massage with Epstein.
The court in the Southern District of New York heard Maxwell imposed a “culture of silence... by design” at Epstein’s properties, where staff were told to “see nothing, hear nothing and say nothing”.
While the “horrific abuse” was going on, the jury was told how the defendant lived a “life of luxury” – with the prosecution describing the trafficking as a “means to support her lifestyle”.
The full indictment against Maxwell listed six charges, including conspiracy to entice minors to travel to engage in illegal sex acts, enticement of a minor to travel to engage in illegal sex acts and conspiracy to transport minors with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity.
Maxwell was also accused of transporting a minor with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, sex trafficking conspiracy, sex trafficking of a minor and lying under oath by hiding her participation in Epstein’s offences in a separate civil case. Yesterday, she was convicted on five of the six counts.
Maxwell was found not guilty of enticing a minor to engage in illegal sex acts – which alleged the defendant coerced one of the accusers, who testified under the pseudonym “Jane”, to travel from Florida to Manhattan so that Epstein could have sex with her.
The court heard how Maxwell flew on Epstein’s private planes to his properties where the abuse would happen – including a ranch in Santa Fe, New Mexico, his house in Palm Beach, Florida, his townhouse in New York and his private island.
“Jane” told jurors that as well as luring her to an orgy at the age of 14, the defendant and Epstein would fondle each other in front of her.
She said Epstein would use sex toys on her “even though it hurt”.
Jurors also heard how another accuser, who testified under the pseudonym Carolyn, had been introduced to Epstein and Maxwell through Duke of York accuser Virginia Roberts, and that she had been in the same room while Epstein and Ms Roberts had sex.
Maxwell’s defence counsel had attempted to distance her from Epstein, but a series of photographs showed their close relationship.
Epstein was found dead in his cell in August 2019 while he awaited trial on sex trafficking charges. The death was ruled a suicide.
Maxwell will be sentenced on a date yet to be confirmed.
Meanwhile, the Duke of York’s lawyer has called for the civil sexual assault case against the royal in the US to be stopped because his accuser is “actually domiciled in Australia”, rather than a Colorado resident.
Virginia Roberts is suing the Queen’s son for damages for allegedly sexually assaulting her when she was 17, a minor under US law.