Jeffrey Epstein’s associate Ghislaine Maxwell was found guilty in her sex trafficking case on Wednesday afternoon. The verdict included 5 of the original 6 counts against her.
Maxwell has been under investigation for some time due to her connection to Epstein. She was facing an indictment for having a prominent role in sexually abusing underage girls for a decade starting in 1994. She was arrested in July 2020, pleaded not guilty to the charges, and was held without bail.
On the sixth day of jury deliberations and after 40 hours, the verdict was reached. The defense rested their case and Maxwell did not take the stand on the last day of this case in New York. One former employee did testify, stating she respected Maxwell. The employee “never saw anything wrong,” according to ABC news.
Reactions from the Verdict
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams stated that Maxwell had been found guilty by a unanimous jury and labeled her crime as “one of the worst crimes imaginable.” She has been convicted of “facilitating and participating in the sexual abuse of children,” according to Williams.
“I want to commend the bravery of the girls — now grown women — who stepped out of the shadows and into the courtroom.” Williams also attributed the result of the case to the victim’s will to courageously stand up to their abusers. “Their courage and willingness to face their abuser made this case, and today’s result, possible.”
The Future
Maxwell being found guilty in this sex trafficking case could lead to her spending decades in prison. Even when the verdict was read, she showed no emotion. Her family left the courtroom without making any comments. One of the accusers was Annie Farmer who was represented by attorney David Boies.
He believes that more people will also be held accountable for this sex trafficking scheme. He thinks “many wealthy and powerful collaborators and co-conspirators” are also to blame. “They too are not above the law. They too must be brought to justice.”
Epstein was once a big-time hedge fund manager and fraternized with many wealthy and powerful people that Boies may have alluded to. He was found dead in his jail cell in 2019. Officials ruled that the death was a suicide. The sentencing date for Maxwell’s case has yet to be set.
Written by Chiagozie Onyewuchi
Source:
ABC News: Jeffrey Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell guilty on 5 of 6 counts in sex trafficking case; by James Hill, Aaron Katersky, and Ali Dukakis
Featured and Top Image Courtesy of Jeffrey’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Inset Image Courtesy of Ken Lund’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
