Ghislaine Maxwell Indictment Alleges She Participated In Jeffrey Epstein’s Abuse Of Underage Girls

TOPLINE

British socialite and former Jeffrey Epstein confidante Ghislaine Maxwell has been arrested, according to multiple reports, after largely disappearing from the public eye following the disgraced financier’s arrest and death by suicide in August 2019, and according to an indictment, allegedly participated in the sexual abuse of underage girls with Epstein.

KEY FACTS

News peg

Maxwell remained largely out of the public eye following Epstein’s 2019 arrest and death. The FBI was reportedly investigating her in December 2019. Maxwell, the daughter of the late British media mogul Robert Maxwell, has previously been accused by multiple women of being complicit in Epstein’s alleged sex trafficking operation. Maxwell and Epstein were the subject of a civil lawsuit filed by alleged victim Virginia Giuffre against the disgraced financier’s estate after his death. Giuffre has also claimed that Epstein forced her to have sex with his famous and powerful friends, including Prince Andrew—a former Epstein friend—who has denied her claim. (Prince Andrew stepped away from his royal duties after giving a BBC interview widely regarded as disastrous). The FBI has sought him for questioning in the Epstein case and accused Prince Andrew of being uncooperative. Lawyers for Prince Andrew rejected the FBI’s claims, and said he had offered his help three times.

key background

Epstein was arrested in July 2019 on federal sex trafficking charges, and died by suicide in a Manhattan prison in August. Before then, Epstein faced a 2007 federal sex crimes indictment that accused him of having sex with dozens of underage girls. His 2008 plea deal, the subject of the Miami Herald’s investigation, has been criticized as being too lenient, with Epstein convicted on a single prostitution charge and serving 13 months of an 18 month sentence at a Palm Beach, Florida, county jail. The week before Epstein died, a federal judge unsealed documents from a lawsuit filed by an alleged accuser who claimed multiple famous and powerful men were involved with Epstein’s alleged sex ring. Former Victoria’s Secret chief executive and billionaire Les Wexner had also publicly accused Epstein, his former money manager, of misappropriating $46 million of his fortune.

Further reading

Jeffrey Epstein Confidante Ghislaine Maxwell Arrested, Sources Say (NBC 4 New York)

Report: FBI Investigating Epstein Confidante Ghislaine Maxwell (Forbes)

Jeffrey Epstein’s Dark Façade Finally Cracks (Forbes)

Perversion Of Justice (Miami Herald)