Ghislaine Maxwell is on trial this week for sex trafficking charges, and her lawyers have already resorted to comparing the two to Adam and Eve. Yikes.
The former girlfriend of convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, Maxwell is on trial in Manhattan federal court for allegedly recruiting and grooming four teenage girls between 1994 and 2004 for Epstein to exploit. Epstein died in jail while awaiting trial in 2019.
Prosecutors are saying that Maxwell groomed the girls by sending gifts, talking to them about their personal lives, and discussing sexual topics to gain their trust. Maxwell then encouraged the girls to give Epstein erotic massages while partially or fully naked, during which he touched them and masturbated.
“Sometimes, she was even in the room for the massages herself and, sometimes, she touched the girls’ bodies,” assistant district attorney Lara Pomerantz told the court, per ABC.
“And, even when she was not in the room, make no mistake: She knew exactly what Epstein was going to do with those children when she sent them to him inside the massage rooms.”
“She was in on it from the start. The defendant and Epstein lured their victims with a promise of a bright future, only to sexually exploit them,” she said. Maxwell “helped normalise abusive sexual conduct” by grooming the teenagers to feel safe and spending time with them to gain their trust, Pomerantz said.
The prosecution said Maxwell “was involved in every detail of Epstein’s life”, that she was “the lady of the house”, and that after Maxwell and Epstein stopped dating, they “remained best friends”.
Maxwell’s defence lawyer Bobbi Sternheim told the court her client was a “scapegoat for a man who behaved badly”, saying that this has been happening since Adam and Eve.
Ah yes, the girlbossification of Ghislaine Maxwell.
“[Jeffrey Epstein is] the proverbial elephant in the room. He is not visible, but he is consuming this entire courtroom and overflow courtrooms where other members of the public are viewing,” Sternheim said, before suggesting that the alleged victims’ memories had been manipulated.
“Memories fade over time and this case you will learn that not only have memories faded, but they have [also] been contaminated by outside information, constant media reports and other influences,” she said.
The “accusers have shaken the money tree, and millions of dollars have fallen their way”.
Maxwell has pleaded not guilty to eight charges of sex trafficking and other crimes including perjury, which will be tried at a later date. She’s facing up to 80 years in prison if convicted of all counts.
Help is available.
If you require immediate assistance, please call 000.
If you’d like to speak to someone about sexual violence, please call the 1800 Respect hotline on 1800 737 732 or chat online.
Under 25? You can reach Kids Helpline at 1800 55 1800 or chat online.
