Ghislaine Maxwell Sentenced To 20 Years In Prison For Conspiring With Jeffrey Epstein To Sexually Abuse Minors
GHISLANE MAXWELL was sentenced today in Manhattan federal court by United States Circuit Judge Alison J. Nathan to 240 months in prison for her part in a scheme to sexually exploit and abuse numerous young girls over the course of a decade with Jeffrey Epstein, according to Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York. Following a one-month jury trial, MAXWELL was previously found guilty on December 29, 2021, of conspiring to lure minors to travel to engage in illegal sex acts, conspiring to transport minors to engage in such acts, transporting a minor to engage in such acts, conspiring to traffic in minors for sex, and trafficking in minors for sex.
“Today’s sentencing holds Ghislaine Maxwell accountable for committing horrible crimes against children,” said U.S. Attorney Damian Williams. This line makes it clear that no one is above the law and that justice can always be served. We want to thank the victims of Epstein and Maxwell once more for having the guts to come forward, testify in court, and share their experiences at today’s sentencing.
According to the allegations in the Indictment, court documents, and evidence presented at trial:
GHISLAINE MAXWELL helped, enabled, and took part in Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse of young girls from at least 1994 until and included in or around 2004. Among other things, she assisted Epstein in recruiting, grooming, and finally abusing victims that MAXWELL and Epstein knew were under the age of 18. When they were groomed and mistreated by MAXWELL and Epstein, both of whom were aware that their victims were in fact kids, the victims were as young as 14 years old. MAXWELL and Epstein lured and prodded young victims to travel to Epstein’s homes in various states as part of and to further their plan to abuse them. MAXWELL knew and intended that this would lead to the young victims being groomed for and subjected to sexual abuse.
MAXWELL lured and trained young females to abuse them in various ways. For instance, MAXWELL made an effort to get to know some of the victims by asking them about their homes, families, and schools and accompanying them to the movies or the mall. By merely being present during victim contacts with Epstein, MAXWELL also helped victims become accustomed to his behaviour. This helped victims feel more at ease since they had the assurance and comfort of an adult woman who appeared to be okay with Epstein’s actions. Additionally, MAXWELL urged some victims to accept Epstein’s assistance when he promised to pay for their travel and/or educational possibilities.Because of this, victims felt obligated and thought MAXWELL and Epstein were trying to assist them. By talking about sexual matters, taking off clothes in front of the victim, being present as the victim undressed, and encouraging the victim to massage Epstein, MAXWELL also normalised and enabled sexual abuse for a victim.
These grooming practises made young victims open to sexual assault by Epstein, as MAXWELL and Epstein planned. MAXWELL later witnessed sex acts committed by Epstein against minor victims while present for specific sexual contacts between minor victims and Epstein, such as interactions in which a minor victim was naked.
This abuse comprised group sexualized massages performed by Epstein on a child victim while MAXWELL was present, as well as individual sexualized massages performed on a victim who was fully or partially nude. MAXWELL occasionally took part in the sex abuse of young victims.
Finally, sexual abuse of minors included touching a victim’s breasts or genitals, placing a sex toy like a vibrator on a victim’s genitals, ordering a victim to touch Epstein while he masturbated, and ordering a victim to touch Epstein’s genitals. At Epstein’s homes in New York, Florida, and New Mexico as well as MAXWELL’s home in London, England, the victims of MAXWELL and Epstein were groomed or mistreated.
MAXWELL and Epstein found vulnerable girls throughout the earlier stage of the conspiracy, at least from roughly 1994 to roughly 2001. These girls often came from single-mother households and had severe financial situations. In the earlier stage, the defendant and Epstein had to pick out one female at a time to groom and abuse. In the later phase, between roughly 2001 and at least roughly 2004, MAXWELL and Epstein lured and recruited, and caused to be lured and recruited, young girls to go to Epstein’s Palm Beach residence to engage in sex acts with Epstein, after which Epstein, MAXWELL, or another employee of Epstein’s would give the victims hundreds of dollars in cash. One or more of the victims were persuaded by MAXWELL and Epstein to travel with Epstein with the intentionthat the victim engage in sex acts with Epstein. Additionally, MAXWELL and Epstein paid some victims to find new girls to be similarly assaulted by Epstein in order to preserve and grow his victim pool. MAXWELL and Epstein established a network of young victims for Epstein to sexually abuse in this manner.
* * *
Maxwell, 60, was also given five years of supervised release after his prison term and was required to pay a $750,000 fine.
Mr. Williams thanked the Federal Bureau of Investigation for its excellent job.
The Public Corruption Unit of the Office is handling this case. The prosecution is being led by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Maurene Comey, Alison Moe, Lara Pomerantz, and Andrew Rohrbach.
Fore More Interesting And Trending Blogs Click On The Link Below:
