British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell is set to be sentenced after being found guilty of sex trafficking following a month-long trial in US federal court in Manhattan.
Maxwell, 60, lured young girls to massage parlors to be sexually assaulted by disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein between 1994 and 2004.
Here, the PA news agency takes a look at what we learned from the trial and what to expect at Tuesday’s hearing.
– How many accusers testified at the trial?
There were four female accusers who testified at trial.
Annie Farmer, who was 16 when she met Maxwell, was the only one of the four to testify using her full name.
The other three women testified under the pseudonyms of Jane, Kate and Carolyn.
– What did Jane say in her testimony?
Jane said Maxwell and Epstein called her in for an orgy when she was just 14 in 1994.
She told jurors Epstein would use sex toys on her ‘even if it hurt’ and said he and Maxwell would ‘caret’ each other while ‘laughing casually’ in front of her.
Jane said she remained “frozen with fear” after her encounters with the couple, and in cross-examination she told the jury she did not “believe I had found any memory” of having been sexually abused.
– What did Kate say in court?
Kate told jurors she was introduced to massage oils at Maxwell’s London townhouse when she was 17 and told to ‘have a good time’ before having a massage sexualized to Epstein.
The British accuser also said she was invited to Epstein’s house in Palm Beach, Florida when she was 18 and Maxwell made her a schoolgirl outfit because she ‘thought it would be fun “.
After sexualized massages with Epstein, Kate said Maxwell called her “such a good girl”, describing her as one of the disgraced financier’s favourites.
– What did Carolyn tell the jury?
Carolyn told the jury Maxwell groped her when she was 14 after telling the defendant she was assaulted and raped when she was four.
Maxwell told Carolyn she had an “awesome body for Epstein and friends” after touching her breasts in his massage room.
The witness told jurors she stopped seeing Epstein for massages when she was 18 because she had become “too old” for him.
– What did Annie Farmer say in her testimony?
Annie Farmer said Maxwell told her to strip at Epstein’s ranch in New Mexico and rubbed her breasts during a massage.
She told jurors that Epstein ‘stroked’ her hand at the movies and slept with her on his ranch because he ‘wanted a hug’.
– What famous names were dragged into the Maxwell lawsuit?
A number of famous names were mentioned throughout the trial, including the Duke of York, former US Presidents Donald Trump and Bill Clinton, and Pope John Paul II.
Jane told the court she flew on Epstein’s private plane with Andrew and met Mr Trump at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach.
Other notable passengers on Epstein’s planes included Mr Trump, Mr Clinton and actors Kevin Spacey and Chris Tucker.
The trial also heard that Epstein had photos of himself with famous people hanging in his homes, including former Cuban leader Fidel Castro and Pope John Paul II.
A photograph, shown to the jury, appeared to show Maxwell and Epstein in a log cabin on the Queen’s Balmoral estate.
– Who else testified in connection with the US government’s case?
Juan Patricio Alessi, Epstein’s former housekeeper at his Palm Beach home, told jurors he drove Jane and Andrew’s accuser, Virginia Roberts, home under Maxwell’s orders when they had 14 or 15 years old.
He also said staff were given a ‘housekeeping manual’ that told them to ‘see no, hear no, say no more’ and never divulge the activities or whereabouts of Maxwell and Epstein. to anyone.
FBI analyst Kimberly Meder presented jurors with various photos found on CDs seized from Epstein’s New York home, including those of Maxwell rubbing his feet.
Palm Beach Law Enforcement Officer Gregory Parkinson was asked to identify a massage table that had been brought to court after being seized from Epstein’s home.
“What was said in Maxwell’s defense?”
In her opening statement to the jury, defense attorney Bobbi Sternheim said the charges against Maxwell relate to “things that Jeffrey Epstein did.”
The defendant refused to testify at her trial, telling the judge, “Your honor, the government has not proven their case beyond a reasonable doubt, so I have no reason to testify.”
Maxwell’s lawyers have tried to show that the victims exaggerated the defendant’s involvement in one of Epstein’s crimes.
“What sentence can Maxwell expect now that she’s been convicted?”
Maxwell was convicted of conspiracy to commit the sex trafficking of minors, which carries a maximum legal sentence of 40 years in prison.
His conviction for transporting a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity carries a maximum sentence of 10 years, while conspiracy to transport a minor with intent to engage in Criminal sexual activity is punishable by up to five years in prison.
The latest charge of sex trafficking of minors carries a legal maximum of five years in prison, bringing the maximum legal sentence for all charges to 65 years.
Prosecutors urged the judge to hand down a sentence of 30 to 55 years.
Will victims speak at the sentencing hearing?
Annie Farmer, Kate and Virginia Giuffre were allowed to read victim impact statements orally in court.
Maria Farmer, Sarah Ransome, Teresa Helm, Elizabeth Stein and Juliette Bryant have been advised that their statements will only be accepted as written submissions.