THE CHARGES

ALLEGATIONS against Ghislaine Maxwell were outlined at a dramatic news conference in New York.

Acting US Attorney Audrey Strauss said five charges dated back to 1994.

Maxwell is charged with four counts related to procuring and transporting minors for illegal sex acts and two of perjury. Her indictment names Minor Victims 1, 2, and 3.

They were as young as 14 when, according to the indictment, they were enticed by Maxwell and groomed for sexual abuse by Epstein.

The first met Maxwell when she was 14. The indictment claims Maxwell befriended the girl by enquiring about school and family. She also took her to stores or the movies. She “sought to normalise inappropriate and abusive conduct,” including by undressing in front of the girl, the indictment said.

Within a year, Epstein began abusing the minor and “Maxwell was present for and involved in some of this abuse,” prosecutors allege.

The second victim in the complaint was aged under 18 in 1996 when she interacted with Maxwell at Epstein’s ranch in New Mexico. Epstein had invited her “for the purpose of being groomed for and/ or subjected to acts of sexual abuse,” the complaint states. Adults took the girl shopping and to a movie and Maxwell is alleged to have chatted her up.

Though she knew the girl was a minor, Maxwell “began her efforts to groom [her] for abuse by Epstein”.

In London, between 1994 and 1995, Maxwell allegedly befriended the third victim, knowing the girl was underage.

Maxwell would allegedly push the teen to massage Epstein, though she was aware “Epstein would engage in sex acts with Minor Victim 3”.

The girl gave the requested rubdowns and was sexually abused during them, the complaint states.