Ghislaine Maxwell found guilty in sex trafficking case

New York, New York – On Wednesday, Ghislaine Maxwell, a British socialite and former confidant to Jeffrey Epstein, was found guilty of sex trafficking and four other charges.

Ghislaine Maxwell was found guilty on five of six charges, including sex trafficking of minors and three counts of conspiracy.
Ghislaine Maxwell was found guilty on five of six charges, including sex trafficking of minors and three counts of conspiracy.  © Collage: IMAGO/ZUMA Wire & NurPhoto

Out of the six charges against her, a federal jury in Manhattan found Maxwell (60) guilty of all counts but one.

The charges she was convicted of included sex trafficking of minors, conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of minors, transporting a minor with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, conspiracy to transport a minor with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, and conspiracy to entice minors to travel across state lines.

The only count that Maxwell was found not guilty of was count two, enticing a minor to travel with the intent to engage in illegal sexual activity.

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The verdict came on the fifth day of jury deliberations following 10 days of witness testimony diving into Maxwell's alleged involvement in a sex trafficking scheme alongside Epstein and others.

Of the five charges she was convicted of, sex trafficking of a minor carries the heftiest possible sentence – a maximum of 40 years in prison.

The three counts of conspiracy that Maxwell was convicted of each old a maximum sentence of five years each, while the transportation of a minor with intent to engage in illegal sexual activity conviction carries a 10-year maximum sentence.

Following the verdict, US Attorney Damian Williams issued a statement saying, "A unanimous jury has found Ghislaine Maxwell guilty of one of the worst crimes imaginable – facilitating and participating in the sexual abuse of children. Crimes that she committed with her long-time partner and co-conspirator, Jeffrey Epstein."

Williams continued, "I want to commend the bravery of the girls – now grown women – who stepped out of the shadows and into the courtroom. Their courage and willingness to face their abuser made this case, and today’s result, possible."

US Judge Alison J. Nathan, who presided over the case, has not yet set a date for sentencing.

Cover photo: Collage: IMAGO/ZUMA Wire & NurPhoto

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