UK social site Ghislaine Maxwell “serves” young girls for abuse by Jeffrey Epstein, Allege prosecutors

Ghislaine Maxwell faces the possibility of spending the rest of her life in prison if convicted.

New York:

Prosecutors said on Monday Ghislaine Maxwell forced young girls to be abused by “predator” Jeffrey Epstein, prosecutors said Monday as the sex-trafficking trial went on against him. British heiress and jet social networking site started in New York.

Attorney Lara Pomerantz said Maxwell was a “child of the house” in the world of tycoon Epstein, who maintained throughout their years a “culture of silence” to sexually exploit girls under the age of 18. of the trial.

Maxwell “makes those girls feel seen. They make them feel special. But that’s just a cover,” Pomerantz told the jury.

In fact, she was “serving them to be sexually abused,” Pomerantz said.

Two years after Epstein committed suicide in prison before going to court on a similar charge, Maxwell sat in a packed Manhattan courtroom facing six counts of soliciting and transporting a minor for sex.

The four unnamed women who are said to have suffered at the hands of these two were key witnesses in the trial, which came under intense media attention.

Covering her face and wearing a beige sweater and black slit pants, the 59-year-old daughter of the late newspaper baron Robert Maxwell looked straight ahead throughout the proceedings.

She faces the possibility of spending the rest of her life in prison if convicted.

Epstein’s ‘right-hand man’ partner

Maxwell, whose sister Isabel was also in the courtroom, pleaded not guilty to all six counts.

Her lawyers have claimed she was indicted only because US authorities were unable to bring Epstein to justice.

But Pomerantz says that during her alleged time against her cover, 1994-2004, she was Epstein’s “right-hand man” partner, gaining the trust of 14-year-old girls and then conditioned to get a nude massage and then have sex with Epstein.

Maxwell “knew exactly what Epstein was going to do with those kids when she sent them into those massage rooms” in Epstein’s luxury homes in New Mexico, Manhattan and Palm Beach, Florida, as well as his own home. she was in London, the prosecutor said.

Epstein is a multi-million dollar money manager who has befriended countless celebrities, including Britain’s Prince Andrew, and is accused of providing them with women, including minors. adult.

The indictment alleges that Maxwell was involved in the abuse of four unidentified women, luring them with shopping trips and watching movies before luring them into having sex with Epstein before giving them money. for them.

Two of the women said they were only 14 and 15 years old when they were sexually abused.

Facing an 80-year sentence

Epstein, who for years evaded charges with the help of flawed legislation, strong ties and sympathetic law enforcement, was arrested in July 2019.

But a month later, he committed suicide while in prison.

Prosecutors vowed to hunt down anyone who helped him in the girl abuse case, and arrested Maxwell in July 2020.

The trial is expected to last more than six weeks, and Maxwell faces up to 80 years in prison if convicted on all counts.

The key witnesses will be the women who are said to have suffered at the hands of her and Epstein. They will be allowed to testify with their identities kep secretly.

Due to the threat of Covid-19 and fears of a new variant of Omicron heightened, glass boxes with air filters have been set up for witnesses and attorneys to question.

Maxwell’s attorneys have indicated that they will challenge the credibility of the accusers by referencing previous allegations of substance abuse and false memories of what happened.

Days before the trial, fake statements circulated on social media, repeated by some prominent political conservatives that the judge in the case had banned media coverage, ostensibly to protect Epstein’s close friends and associates.

While the proceedings of the trial were not televised live, reporters were in fact present in the courtroom as well as watching the trial via video in a private media room of the court.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and was automatically generated from the feed provided.)