The featured photo (above) is of two of Maxwell’s victims.
On Tuesday, British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell was sentenced to twenty years behind bars for helping sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein abuse young girls. She wore blue jail scrubs during the sentencing hearing and did not speak to her siblings. Instead, she spoke to a victim, Annie Farmer, who testified about her experiences. Maxwell apologized to Farmer for the abuse, but her accusers did not accept her apology.
On December 29, 2021 a jury returned a guilty verdict against Maxwell. The jury deliberated for almost a week before reaching a decision. On that day, the jury found Maxwell guilty on five counts. One count involved enticing a minor. The jury convicted Maxwell on five counts of sex trafficking. A sentence for sex trafficking a minor can carry a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison. Another charge involving Jeffrey Epstein’s criminal case carries a maximum sentence of five years.
In addition to her 20-year prison sentence, Maxwell will be required to pay a $750,000 fine. She was convicted of trafficking underage girls in 2006 and 2007, and it is believed she was only one of Epstein’s accomplices. Her sentence comes on the heels of a trial in which she was found guilty on five counts of sexual abuse. During the trial, many victims testified about the abuse they suffered at the hands of Maxwell and Epstein. Epstein was never convicted for these particular crimes because of his suspicious death before the trial, which was ruled a suicide.
As the assistant U.S. attorney for the prosecution, Alison Moe argued for a sentence that was well above the guidelines. The prosecution argued that Maxwell had abused multiple victims, including a 16-year-old girl. The two women allegedly used the girls’ identities to recruit them, and the victims were coached by Maxwell. The victims also testified about the sexual abuse and other abuse they went through.
