Ghislaine Maxwell sentenced for 20 years for helping Epstein in abusing young girls

UK former socialite Ghislaine Maxwell has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison on Tuesday for running a pyramid scheme of “grooming” young girls for convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein to abuse. However, the 60-year-old maintained her innocence in the New York sex trafficking case. 

Maxwell did not testify in her defence during the trial late last year which ended with the court giving convictions on five counts, including one for sex trafficking a minor. Remarkably, on Tuesday, she did speak to the victims just shortly before the sentence was handed down.

"Jeffrey Epstein should have been here before all of you," Maxwell said at the podium. "It is not about Epstein, ultimately. It is for me to be sentenced."

Epstein was a convicted sex offender and financier, who was Maxwell’s long-time partner and friend, Epstein’s elite associates included Prince Andrew and former US President Bill Clinton. He was captured by the federal authorities back in 2019 on sex-trafficking accounts but he was found dead in a new York City federal jail just over a month after his arrest. Maxwell reportedly acknowledged that she had been convicted in the sex trafficking scheme but ceased to take responsibility. 

"I am sorry for the pain that you've experienced," Maxwell said. "I hope my conviction ... brings you closure."

Maxwell, Epstein’s former girlfriend was convicted on December 29 on five out of six accounts she was facing. It was done following the 40 hours of deliberations by the jury in six days. Apart from sex trafficking, the former British socialite was convicted of conspiracy to entice girls below the age of 17 to travel in interstate commerce with an intention to engage in illegal sexual activity. 

Prosecutors asked for a sentence of 30-35 years 

According to CNN, the prosecutors had asked the judge for handing out 30-35 years of jail sentence to Maxwell, while the probation department recommended 20 years, her attorneys requested a lenient sentence of 4.25 and 5.25 years in prison. 

Reportedly Judge Alison Nathan had calculated the sentencing guidelines called for around 15.5 to 19.5 years in prison, yet, she ended up delivering slightly above the said range. The judge took the measure by keeping in mind the devastating experiences some of the victims went through and Maxwell’s “direct and repeated participation in a horrific scheme."

"Miss Maxwell is not punished in place of Epstein," she said. "Miss Maxwell is being punished for the role that she played."

Image: AP