Ghislaine Maxwell

A court has sentenced Ghislaine Maxwell, 60, the girlfriend of famous pedophile billionaire Jeffrey Epstein, to 20 years in prison and $750,000 in fines for trafficking sex with minors.

Maxwell has been in custody since July 2020. Late last year, a jury found him guilty on five of the six charges (the most serious being trafficking of minors for the purpose of sexual exploitation). Between 1994 and 2004, it was proven that a woman recruited teenage girls for her boyfriend Epstein, whom the businessman persuaded to engage in sexual activities. The prosecution insisted that Ghislaine be sentenced to between 30 and 55 years in prison. His lawyers sought prison terms of no more than five years for their client.

The Ghislaine Maxwell Case

In announcing the verdict, Judge Alison Jay Nathan noted that Maxwell’s behavior was “disgusting and predatory”:

The judge added that he sees “a very severe punishment” in this case and will send a “clear message” that such crimes should be severely punished. Maxwell addressed the victims in court, saying that he asked for forgiveness for the pain they had suffered.

– the woman described the ex-partner as “a cunning and manipulator who deceives everyone around him.”

The judge also noted that Ghislaine had not heard in her appeal that the defendant had confessed to his guilt.

At yesterday’s meeting, four victims of Epstein’s actions and Maxwell spoke, a few more victims, including Virginia Giuffre, who is known for her scandal with Prince Andrew, was read by a lawyer.

Ghislaine Maxwell, from a wealthy family of boss Robert Maxwell, was a famous socialite in the 90s, friends with celebrities and the elite. She had an affair with Epstein, but also recruited young girls for her, often from dysfunctional families whom the businessman had persuaded to have sex with. Also, Epstein and Maxwell forced the girls to be intimate with their rich and powerful friends.

Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell

As the press learned, the businessman for several years arranged orgies for his friends with the participation of minors on his own island in the Caribbean. In the summer of 2019, Jeffrey Epstein was arrested, but the case never went to trial: a month later the financier was found dead in his cell – the death was considered suicide. In February 2022, model agent Jean-Luc Brunel, one of the defendants in the Epstein case, died in prison. His death was also called a suicide.

Epstein’s friends, Queen Elizabeth II. Many rich and famous people were, including Elizabeth’s son, Prince Andrew. Virginia Giuffre, one of Epstein’s victims, accused Prince Andrew of rape, but the case was settled out of court – the prince paid a large indemnity. Due to the scandal, he was stripped of all his official titles and ceased to fulfill the duties of a member of the royal family.