Ghislaine Maxwell: Jurors Reach Verdict In Sex Trafficking Trial
A verdict has been reached by the 12 jurors in British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell’s sex trafficking trial.
Maxwell, the former girlfriend of deceased convicted sex offender and paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, faced six charges in relation to the sex trafficking of teenage girls. If convicted of all charges, she faced up to 80 years in prison.
In the trial at Manhattan Federal Court, four women came forward to give evidence, but Maxwell pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
The jury has since reached a verdict.
Of the charges, Maxwell has been found guilty of conspiracy to entice a minor to travel to engage in illegal sex acts, conspiracy to transport a minor with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, transporting a minor with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of minors, and sex trafficking of minors.
Of the six counts she was facing, Maxwell was only found not guilty of one charge, which was enticing a minor to travel to engage in illegal sex acts.
She faces a combined sentence of 75 years for the crimes she was convicted of, but sentencing has not been finalized at this time.
The first accuser, given the alias Jane, accused Maxwell of trafficking her in 1994 when she was just 14 years old. Jane alleged that Maxwell was present when Epstein abused her and even participated in the abuse herself.
A second woman testified that Maxwell gave her a schoolgirl’s outfit to wear, and a third claimed she visited Epstein ‘over 100’ times and was abused ‘every single’ visit.
The final accuser claimed that Maxwell ‘instructed’ her to perform massages on Epstein, and that one time Maxwell performed a massage on her where she ‘exposed her breasts’ and touched them herself.
The six charges Maxwell faced included conspiracy to entice a minor to travel to engage in illegal sex acts, enticing a minor to travel to engage in illegal sex acts, conspiracy to transport a minor with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, transporting a minor with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of minors and sex trafficking of minors The Independent reports.
Alongside the evidence from the four accusers, on December 27, the 12 jurors requested transcripts of testimony from Jane’s ex-boyfriend as well as a pilot on Epstein’s plane dubbed the ‘Lolita Express’ and a police officer who led the raid at Epstein’s house in 2005.
7 months agoThe former socialite is also expected to stand trial for two different counts of perjury next year.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence regarding the welfare of a child, contact the NSPCC on 0808 800 5000, 8am–10pm Monday to Friday, 9am–6pm weekends. If you are a child seeking advice and support, call Childline for free on 0800 1111
If you have been affected by any of the issues in this article and wish to speak to someone in confidence, contact the Rape Crisis England and Wales helpline on 0808 802 9999 between 12pm–2.30pm and 7pm– 9.30pm every day. Alternatively, you can contact Victim Support free on 08 08 16 89 111 available 24/7, every day of the year, including Christmas
Male Survivors Partnership is available to support adult male survivors of sexual abuse and rape. You can contact the organisation on their website or on their free helpline 0808 800 5005, open 9am–5pm Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays; 8am–8pm Tuesdays and Thursdays; 10am–2pm Saturdays
Topics: News, Ghislaine Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein, Now
