— Ghislaine Maxwell, who was convicted last year of trafficking young sexual abuse victims to financier Jeffrey Epstein over the course of a decade, on Tuesday was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Federal prosecutors had asked Judge Alison J. Nathan to give Maxwell, 60, at least a 30-year sentence for what they described as her “instrumental” role in a conspiracy to peddle female victims to Epstein — at his Palm Beach, Fla., home, his Manhattan mansion, his New Mexico ranch, and his private island in the Caribbean from 1994 to 2004.
“In her wake, Maxwell left her victims permanently scarred with emotional and psychological injuries,” prosecutors wrote in a June 22 court filing. “That damage can never be undone, but it can be accounted for in crafting a just sentence for Maxwell’s crimes.”
But Nathan said sentencing guidelines suggest a shorter sentence, roughly between 15 and 19 years. After hearing from Maxwell’s victims and Maxwell herself, she imposed a sentence of 240 months, or 20 years.
Survivors arrive to give statements at Maxwell sentencing
0:51
Two survivors of convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell spoke outside the courthouse on June 28 prior to Maxwell‘s sentencing proceeding in New York. (Video: Reuters)
Ghislaine Maxwell convicted of trafficking girls for Jeffrey Epstein
Epstein died in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking and related counts. His death, which was ruled a suicide, sparked a Justice Department probe and prompted dozens of women who said Epstein abused them to declare that they were robbed of justice. Maxwell was indicted a year later.
In a sentencing submission this month, Maxwell’s legal team argued she should not be given significant prison time “as if she were a proxy for Epstein simply because Epstein is no longer here.”
“It would be a travesty of justice for her to face a sentence that would have been appropriate for Epstein,” the filing states.
Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 to a state charge of procuring a minor for prostitution and served about a year of jail time in Florida, with extensive release privileges. His plea deal came under scrutiny years later, following a Miami Herald investigation that documented the extent of his abusive practices.
The years that followed saw lawsuits and new accusations against people in Epstein and Maxwell’s social circle — including Britain’s Prince Andrew, who settled a civil case with Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre in March. The disgraced royal has repeatedly denied having sexual encounters with Giuffre, who alleged that she was trafficked to him by Epstein.
Prince Andrew settles sex abuse lawsuit with woman who says she was trafficked to him by Jeffrey Epstein
Epstein’s federal indictment in New York was viewed as a second chance for his victims to see him face substantial criminal consequences. After his death, investigators turned their attention to Maxwell, who had long been rumored to be involved in Epstein’s sexual abuse of girls and young women.
Prosecutors called it “absurd and offensive” that Maxwell, who was Epstein’s romantic partner for years, believes she’s a scapegoat.
Maxwell recruited and groomed teenagers for Epstein, who expected multiple daily massages at home from young women who were not professional masseuses and who were pressured into engaging in sexual conduct with him during the encounters, according to evidence presented at Maxwell’s trial.
She sought out troubled young women, often from unstable homes, who were enticed by a promise of easy money, prosecutors say. In some cases, she had sexual contact with the victims herself — apparently grooming them for sessions with Epstein for which they were paid hundreds in cash per visit.
Maxwell arranged travel and lodging for some girls, prosecutors say, and took an interest in their lives while presenting herself as a friendly, trustworthy older woman.
Three women will be allowed to make statements at the sentencing, and five others have been permitted to provide written statements for the judge to consider.
Ghislaine Maxwell trial: Another woman describes being groomed for Epstein
In addition to their romantic relationship, Maxwell played a role in managing Epstein’s homes and lifestyle.
Her lawyers have said that she was not an active participant in Epstein’s abuse and that she deserves leniency because she, too, was vulnerable when she met Epstein after her father, Robert Maxwell, a controversial media mogul, died under suspicious circumstances. Maxwell also had a troubled childhood, the lawyers have said, describing years of absentee parenting and trauma over the death of one of her older brothers.
“The Court cannot heal the wounds caused by Epstein by heaping on Ms. Maxwell’s shoulders the pain of every one of his victims, the outrage of society, the public scorn of the community, and then driving her out of the community forever,” the attorneys said in their submission.
They also submitted letters from people listing Maxwell’s positive qualities. A handwritten note from Tatiana Venegas, 31, a fellow inmate at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, describes Maxwell as a friendly person who has volunteered to teach yoga and English to some of her bunk mates.
Maxwell, through her counsel, has lodged frequent complaints about her detention — accusing jail administrators of subjecting her to overly restrictive levels of monitoring and keeping her in solitary confinement, which Maxwell’s attorneys have said was a reaction to the failure of the Bureau of Prisons to keep Epstein alive in custody.
Recently, Maxwell’s attorneys complained that she was needlessly moved to a suicide-watch area where she has been unable to review documents related to her sentencing.
Federal prosecutors had asked Judge Alison J. Nathan to give Maxwell, 60, at least a 30-year sentence for what they described as her “instrumental” role in a conspiracy to peddle female victims to Epstein — at his Palm Beach, Fla., home, his Manhattan mansion, his New Mexico ranch, and his private island in the Caribbean from 1994 to 2004.
“In her wake, Maxwell left her victims permanently scarred with emotional and psychological injuries,” prosecutors wrote in a June 22 court filing. “That damage can never be undone, but it can be accounted for in crafting a just sentence for Maxwell’s crimes.”
But Nathan said sentencing guidelines suggest a shorter sentence, roughly between 15 and 19 years. After hearing from Maxwell’s victims and Maxwell herself, she imposed a sentence of 240 months, or 20 years.
Survivors arrive to give statements at Maxwell sentencing
0:51
Two survivors of convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell spoke outside the courthouse on June 28 prior to Maxwell‘s sentencing proceeding in New York. (Video: Reuters)
Ghislaine Maxwell convicted of trafficking girls for Jeffrey Epstein
Epstein died in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking and related counts. His death, which was ruled a suicide, sparked a Justice Department probe and prompted dozens of women who said Epstein abused them to declare that they were robbed of justice. Maxwell was indicted a year later.
In a sentencing submission this month, Maxwell’s legal team argued she should not be given significant prison time “as if she were a proxy for Epstein simply because Epstein is no longer here.”
“It would be a travesty of justice for her to face a sentence that would have been appropriate for Epstein,” the filing states.
Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 to a state charge of procuring a minor for prostitution and served about a year of jail time in Florida, with extensive release privileges. His plea deal came under scrutiny years later, following a Miami Herald investigation that documented the extent of his abusive practices.
The years that followed saw lawsuits and new accusations against people in Epstein and Maxwell’s social circle — including Britain’s Prince Andrew, who settled a civil case with Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre in March. The disgraced royal has repeatedly denied having sexual encounters with Giuffre, who alleged that she was trafficked to him by Epstein.
Prince Andrew settles sex abuse lawsuit with woman who says she was trafficked to him by Jeffrey Epstein
Epstein’s federal indictment in New York was viewed as a second chance for his victims to see him face substantial criminal consequences. After his death, investigators turned their attention to Maxwell, who had long been rumored to be involved in Epstein’s sexual abuse of girls and young women.
Prosecutors called it “absurd and offensive” that Maxwell, who was Epstein’s romantic partner for years, believes she’s a scapegoat.
Maxwell recruited and groomed teenagers for Epstein, who expected multiple daily massages at home from young women who were not professional masseuses and who were pressured into engaging in sexual conduct with him during the encounters, according to evidence presented at Maxwell’s trial.
She sought out troubled young women, often from unstable homes, who were enticed by a promise of easy money, prosecutors say. In some cases, she had sexual contact with the victims herself — apparently grooming them for sessions with Epstein for which they were paid hundreds in cash per visit.
Maxwell arranged travel and lodging for some girls, prosecutors say, and took an interest in their lives while presenting herself as a friendly, trustworthy older woman.
Three women will be allowed to make statements at the sentencing, and five others have been permitted to provide written statements for the judge to consider.
Ghislaine Maxwell trial: Another woman describes being groomed for Epstein
In addition to their romantic relationship, Maxwell played a role in managing Epstein’s homes and lifestyle.
Her lawyers have said that she was not an active participant in Epstein’s abuse and that she deserves leniency because she, too, was vulnerable when she met Epstein after her father, Robert Maxwell, a controversial media mogul, died under suspicious circumstances. Maxwell also had a troubled childhood, the lawyers have said, describing years of absentee parenting and trauma over the death of one of her older brothers.
“The Court cannot heal the wounds caused by Epstein by heaping on Ms. Maxwell’s shoulders the pain of every one of his victims, the outrage of society, the public scorn of the community, and then driving her out of the community forever,” the attorneys said in their submission.
They also submitted letters from people listing Maxwell’s positive qualities. A handwritten note from Tatiana Venegas, 31, a fellow inmate at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, describes Maxwell as a friendly person who has volunteered to teach yoga and English to some of her bunk mates.
Maxwell, through her counsel, has lodged frequent complaints about her detention — accusing jail administrators of subjecting her to overly restrictive levels of monitoring and keeping her in solitary confinement, which Maxwell’s attorneys have said was a reaction to the failure of the Bureau of Prisons to keep Epstein alive in custody.
Recently, Maxwell’s attorneys complained that she was needlessly moved to a suicide-watch area where she has been unable to review documents related to her sentencing.
