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Irish Mirror

World

Sophie Collins

Timeline of events as Ghislaine Maxwell faces up to 55 years in jail over sex trafficking convictions

Ghislaine Maxwell Jeffrey Epstein Trafficking Alison Nathan Virginia Giuffre United States

Ghislaine Maxwell is due to be sentenced on Tuesday, June 28 following her conviction on numerous counts of sex trafficking.

The list of charges facing the British socialite - to which she has pleaded 'not guilty' on all counts - includes:

Enticing minors to travel to engage in illegal sex acts
Enticing minors to travel for illegal sex acts
Conspiracy to transport minors with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity
Transport of minors with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity
Two counts of perjury

She is facing up to 55 years behind bars, which will see the 60-year-old effectively spend the rest of her life in jail for her crimes.

Throughout her trial, her lawyers have called for a lighter sentence, citing her traumatic childhood and claiming that Maxwell is being unfairly blamed for Jeffrey Epstein’s behaviour.

The US probation office recommended 20 years, however, prosecutors have asked that Maxwell be given between 30 and 55 years of incarceration.

They argue that she has shown a complete "lack of remorse" for her crimes committed between 1994 and 2004.

A final decision will be handed down this afternoon by U.S. District Judge Alison Nathan. So here is a refresher of what has happened in the lead-up to her sentencing in the US State of New York:

2018

Back in November 2018, The Miami Herald published a report that claimed to uncover a once-secret deal between Epstein and federal prosecutors in 2007.

It revealed details of how prosecutors had been investigating allegations that he sexually abused minors at his Florida home.

According to this report, he pleaded guilty to lesser state prostitution charges. However, after the report was published, it shone a new light on these old allegations against Epstein and Maxwell as the #MeToo movement gained momentum.

At the time, this movement was encouraging women to speak out about abuse by powerful men.

2019

Eight months later - in July 2019 - Epstein was arrested on charges of seducing girls as young as 14 at his homes in New York and Florida - with the help of Maxwell - and paying them for sex acts.

Epstein pleaded not guilty to these charges and was placed on suicide watch after being found unconscious in his cell in a Manhattan jail with neck injuries. He claimed he was attacked by his cellmate and was taken off suicide watch less than a week later.

On August 9 of that year, Epstein’s cellmate was transferred to another location, and the following morning, Epstein was found hanged in his cell.

At the time of his death, he was awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges, and after a medical examination, it was ruled that his death was a suicide.

2020

On July 2, British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell was arrested by the FBI in Bradford, New Hampshire on charges of finding and transporting three minor victims for illegal sex acts.

She was also charged with perjury after prosecutors accused her of lying during a deposition for a civil defamation lawsuit - which was brought to court by Epstein survivor, Virginia Giuffre.

Maxwell pleaded not guilty and went as far as to say she "vigorously" denied the charges. Despite this, U.S. District Judge Alison Nathan denied Maxwell bail and said she posed a flight risk.

In October of 2020, this 2016 deposition Maxwell gave in Giuffre’s case was made public. The tapes showed Maxwell denying that she ever saw Epstein have sex with underage girls or helped him arrange illicit sexual encounters.

2021

On March 29, 2021, prosecutors filed a new indictment against Maxwell, charging her with the sex trafficking of a fourth victim.

According to reports, Maxwell recruited the victim in 2001 - when she was just 14 years old - to engage in sex acts with Epstein.

Then on April 23, Maxwell pleaded not guilty to all of the new charges. Despite this, the presiding judge turned down Maxwell’s bid to dismiss her indictment. She requested this on the grounds that - in her opinion - she should be immune to prosecution under the 2007 agreement Epstein made with prosecutors.

Maxwell protested that this deal also covered accused co-conspirators - which she was considered.

That same year, on November 16, Judge Nathan began questioning more than 200 potential jurors for the case. They were quizzed on their own experiences with sexual abuse as well as their opinions about people with wealthy lifestyles.

Two weeks later, on November 29, in the trial’s opening statements, prosecutor Lara Pomerantz labelled Maxwell a "predator" who had recruited young girls for Epstein in a bid to maintain her glamorous lifestyle.

However, her defence attorney, Bobbi Sternheim, countered that argument and said that Maxwell was being targeted and blamed for Epstein’s bad behaviour.

On December 17, the defence council rested its case after Maxwell refused to testify - they insisted to the jury and the judge that the prosecution had not proven this case beyond a reasonable doubt.

Closing arguments took place on December 20, 2021, when prosecutor Alison Moe said Maxwell had persuaded teenagers who would have normally considered middle-aged Epstein’s advancements "creepy."

The defence insisted that Epstein kept many secrets from ex-girlfriend Maxwell, and insisted that prosecutors had not proven that she knew of his sexual activities with these teenage girls.