Department of Justice
U.S. Attorney’s Office
Southern District of New York



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


Ghislaine Maxwell Sentenced To 20 Years In Prison
For Conspiring With Jeffrey Epstein To Sexually Abuse Minors



Tuesday, June 28, 2022


Ghislaine Maxwell Sentenced To 20 Years In Prison For Conspiring
With Jeffrey Epstein To Sexually Abuse Minors
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District
of New York, announced that GHISLANE MAXWELL was sentenced today
in Manhattan federal court by United States Circuit Judge Alison J. Nathan
to 240 months in prison for her role in a scheme to sexual exploit and
abuse multiple minor girls with Jeffrey Epstein over the course of a decade. 
MAXWELL was previously found guilty on December 29, 2021, following
a one-month jury trial, of conspiracy to entice minors to travel to engage
in illegal sex acts, conspiracy to transport minors to participate in illegal
sex acts, transporting a minor to participate in illegal sex acts, sex trafficking
conspiracy, and sex trafficking of a minor.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said:  “Today’s sentence holds Ghislaine Maxwell
accountable for perpetrating heinous crimes against children.  This sentence
sends a strong message that no one is above the law and it is never too late
for justice.  We again express our gratitude to Epstein and Maxwell’s victims
for their courage in coming forward, in testifying at trial, and in sharing their
stories as part of today’s sentencing.”

According to the allegations in the Indictment, court documents,
and evidence presented at trial:

From at least 1994, up to and including in or about 2004, GHISLAINE MAXWELL
assisted, facilitated, and participated in Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse of minor girls by,
among other things, helping Epstein to recruit, groom, and ultimately abuse
victims known to MAXWELL and Epstein to be under the age of 18.  The victims
were as young as 14 years old when they were groomed and abused by MAXWELL
and Epstein, both of whom knew that their victims were in fact minors.  As a part
and in furtherance of their scheme to abuse minor victims, MAXWELL and Epstein
enticed and caused minor victims to travel to Epstein’s residences in different states,
which MAXWELL knew and intended would result in their grooming for and
subjection to sexual abuse.

MAXWELL enticed and groomed minor girls to be abused in multiple ways. 
For example, MAXWELL attempted to befriend certain victims by asking them
about their lives, their schools, and their families, and taking them to the movies
or on shopping trips.  MAXWELL also acclimated victims to Epstein’s conduct
simply by being present for victim interactions with Epstein, which put victims
at ease by providing the assurance and comfort of an adult woman who seemingly
approved of Epstein’s behavior.  Additionally, Epstein offered to help some victims
by paying for travel and/or educational opportunities, and MAXWELL encouraged
certain victims to accept Epstein’s assistance.  As a result, victims were made to
feel indebted and believed that MAXWELL and Epstein were trying to help them. 
MAXWELL also normalized and facilitated sexual abuse for a victim by discussing
sexual topics, undressing in front of the victim, being present when the victim
was undressed, and encouraging the victim to massage Epstein.

As MAXWELL and Epstein intended, these grooming behaviors left minor victims
vulnerable and susceptible to sexual abuse by Epstein.  MAXWELL was then present
for certain sexual encounters between minor victims and Epstein, such as interactions
where a minor victim was undressed, and ultimately was present for sex acts
perpetrated by Epstein on minor victims.  That abuse included sexualized massages
during which a minor victim was fully or partially nude, as well as group sexualized
massages of Epstein involving a minor victim where MAXWELL was present. 
In some instances, MAXWELL participated in the sexual abuse of minor victims.

Ultimately minor victims were subjected to sexual abuse that included, among
other things, the touching of a victim’s breasts or genitals, placing a sex toy such
as a vibrator on a victim’s genitals, directing a victim to touch Epstein while he
masturbated, and directing a victim to touch Epstein’s genitals.  MAXWELL and
Epstein’s victims were groomed or abused at Epstein’s residences in New York, Florida,
and New Mexico, as well as MAXWELL’s residence in London, England.

In the earlier phase of the conspiracy, from at least approximately 1994 through
approximately 2001, MAXWELL and Epstein identified vulnerable girls, typically
from single-mother households and difficult financial circumstances.  This earlier
phase required the defendant and Epstein to identify one girl at a time to target
for grooming and abuse.  In the later phase, from approximately 2001 until at
least approximately 2004, MAXWELL and Epstein enticed and recruited, and
caused to be enticed and recruited, minor girls to visit Epstein’s Palm Beach Residence
to engage in sex acts with Epstein, after which Epstein, MAXWELL, or another
employee of Epstein’s would give the victims hundreds of dollars in cash. MAXWELL
and Epstein encouraged one or more of those victims to travel with Epstein with
the intention that the victim engage in sex acts with Epstein.  Moreover, and in
order to maintain and increase his supply of victims, MAXWELL and Epstein also
paid certain victims to recruit additional girls to be similarly abused by Epstein. 
In this way, MAXWELL and Epstein created a network of underage victims for
Epstein to sexually exploit.



*                *                *


In addition to the prison sentence, MAXWELL, 60,
was sentenced to five years of supervised release
and ordered to pay a $750,00 fine.

Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of the
Federal Bureau of Investigation.

This case is being handled by the Office’s Public Corruption Unit. 
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Maurene Comey, Alison Moe, Lara Pomerantz,
and Andrew Rohrbach are in charge of the prosecution.





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My question is...
Who all was involved that she trafficked these girls to...