![]() ![]() We still don't know the extent of Jeffrey Epstein's alleged sex trafficking ring, the origins of his shadowy fortune, or which powerful men were involved.īut later today, lawyers in New York will start trying to get to the bottom of what Ms Maxwell did and didn't know - and if she committed crimes at his behest. ''More recently we learned she had slithered away to a gorgeous property in New Hampshire, continuing to live a life of privilege while her victims live with the trauma inflicted upon them years ago,'' said William Sweeney, head of the FBI's New York office.Sixteen months after FBI agents swooped in on her remote hideaway to arrest Ghislaine Maxwell on sexual abuse charges, the trial of the British socialite and former partner of disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein is beginning in New York.įor her alleged victims, they hope this trial will be a chance for justice.įor everyone else, it may be the last chance to unravel the mystery surrounding the American financier, who took his secrets to the grave in 2019. Maxwell largely disappeared from public view in 2016 and has been elusive since Epstein was charged with sex trafficking. The two lived a lavish style and frequently attended high society parties. In the early 1990s, she moved to New York, where she began a romantic relationship with Epstein, who was a financier at the time. Maxwell is the daughter of late British media magnate Robert Maxwell, who founded a publishing house and owned tabloids, including the Daily Mirror. Her arrest is a step in that direction, and it truly means that the justice system didn't forget about us.'' One victim accused Maxwell of arranging for her to have sex with Prince Andrew, a claim denied by the royal Image: picture alliance/AP Photo/S. ''Day after day, I have waited for the news that Maxwell would be arrested and held accountable for her actions. Jennifer Araoz, a woman who accused Epstein of raping her in his New York mansion in 2002 when she was 15, said she the arrest meant the ring had finally been taken down. In a separate lawsuit by another Epstein victim, Maxwell was described as the ''highest-ranking employee'' in the alleged sex trafficking operation. One of the most controversial accusations leveled against Maxwell was a claim by one Epstein victim, Virginia Roberts Giuffre, who said the socialite arranged for her to have sex with Britain's Prince Andrew at Maxwell's London townhouse. They also said she should not be placed in home confinement with an electronic monitoring device, because she could easily take the device off. Prosecutors have asked for Maxwell to be detained while on trial, as they have deemed her a flight risk. If found guilty, she could face up to 35 years in prison, the indictment read. ''The victims were as young as 14-years-old when they were groomed and abused by Maxwell and Epstein, both of whom knew that certain victims were in fact under the age of 18,'' the indictment read. ![]() ![]() She allegedly lured them by asking them about their lives, schools and families and taking them shopping or to movies. The indictment accuses Maxwell of luring the girls starting in 1994 and through 1997. In some cases, Maxwell participated in the abuse herself." Maxwell is accused of luring in underage girls into Epstein's circle where they were later abused Image: Getty Images/L. Maxwell has been accused of playing "a critical role in helping Epstein to identify, befriend and groom minor victims for abuse. Maxwell has repeatedly denied wrongdoing and has said that many of the claims against her are "absolute rubbish."Īn unsealed indictment shows Maxwell charged with six counts, which include enticing a minor to travel to engage in illegal sex acts, conspiracy to transport minors with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity and two counts of perjury, among other related offenses. Maxwell was ordered to be held in temporary detention pending a transfer to the Southern District of New York, where she is to be tried. She later appeared before a local magistrate via a video link accessible by telephone to journalists and the public. Maxwell, who was also Epstein's girlfriend at one point, has been accused of luring underage girls into the late billionaire's circle, where he and his friends allegedly sexually abused them.įBI spokesman Marty Feely said Maxwell was taken into custody around 8:30 a.m. local time. Ghislaine Maxwell, a British socialite who was a longtime friend of the late accused sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, was arrested by the FBI on Thursday in the US state of New Hampshire. ![]()
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