British socialite Ghilaine Maxwell has been sentenced by the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit to 20 years in prison and a fine of $750,000 for running a sex trade in minors with well-known financier Jeffrey Epstein. In handing down the verdict, Judge Alison Nathan specifically noted that Maxwell “is not being punished in place of Epstein” and that the verdict is “a non-mediated verdict once morest Epstein”, however, since Maxwell played a “critical” role in helping Epstein, the verdict should be “substantial”. The judge’s sentence is therefore in line with that recommended by the Federal Probation Service. The prosecutor’s office requested a sentence of 30 to 55 years in prison.
Maxwell, who has always denied her guilt, did not directly admit it during her last speech in court, a few minutes before the verdict. However, she said she was “sorry…for the pain” experienced by the victims of Jeffrey Epstein and expressed her hope that “today…will close a terrible chapter” for those affected.
Maxwell was arrested by the FBI in July 2020. Last December, a federal jury in New York admitted Ghilaine Maxwell is guilty of five of the six counts, including the most serious one, sex trafficking of minors. In addition to the charge of sex trafficking, Ghilaine Maxwell was also found guilty of conspiring to induce a minor to travel for illegal sexual activities, conspiring to transport a minor with the intent to engage in illegal sexual activities, to transport a minor with the intent to engage in illegal sexual activities and conspiring to carry out the sex trade in minors.
According to the investigation, with which the court agreed, Maxwell made acquaintances with underage girls, and then persuaded them to have sex with the famous American financier Jeffrey Epstein. Many of the girls were also forced to have sex with rich and powerful people, among whom, according to the victims, was a British Prince Andrew. In February of this year, he reached an out-of-court settlement with Virginia Roberts-Giuffre, who accused him of rape, and said he regretted his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.
Epstein himself was arrested in July 2019. He was charged with sex trafficking, seduction of minors, organizing prostitution, bribing witnesses and other crimes. But a month later, without waiting for the trial, he committed suicide in a prison cell.
More regarding the case – in the material “The Secret Life of Lady Ghilain”.
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