Ghislane Maxwell convicted of trafficking girls for pedophile businessman Jeffrey Epstein
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Ghislaine Maxwell was convicted of trafficking in underage girls for the pedophile businessman Jeffrey Epstein. The jury found her guilty, she faces up to 65 years in prison. It is reported by the Washington Post.
Damian Williams, attorney for the Southern District of New York, said a jury found Maxwell guilty on five of six counts, including conspiracy to commit sex trafficking and sex trafficking in persons under the age of 18. She was found not guilty of seducing one person under the age of 17 with intent to engage in illegal sexual activity. “The judicial investigation was long, but today justice is finally served,” the prosecutor added.
When the jury's verdict was announced, there was no visible reaction from Maxwell. She faces up to 65 years in prison. The date of the final verdict has not yet been set.
Epstein and Maxwell were an influential couple who, many years ago, were friends with, in particular, Bill Clinton, Donald Trump and British Prince Andrew. Allegations of orgies and sex parties with young girls, including on the private Caribbean island of Epstein, have caused many high-profile politicians, businessmen and celebrities to distance themselves, especially after a plea bargain in 2008 that resulted in a relatively small prison sentence of one year for a disgraced businessman.
Maxwell's trial was seen as an opportunity for prosecutors to prosecute everyone involved in the story.
On December 16, British Prince Andrew asked a US court to dismiss a civil suit from Virginia Roberts-Giuffre, who accuses him of rape at one of Epstein's parties. The statute of limitations for the crime had long expired, but the lawsuit was passed thanks to the New York Child Abuse Act, which allowed perpetrators of sexual violence against minors to be brought to justice regardless of when the crime was committed.
Epstein was found dead shortly after his 2019 arrest. The guards, who were supposed to monitor his behavior, missed the scheduled rounds of the cameras, and the recordings from the CCTV cameras near the deceased's camera disappeared shortly after that – the investigation did not receive them.
