New York: Jury in Ghislaine maxwell‘s sexual abuse Deliberations began on Monday over whether the British socialite raised teen girls to have sex Jeffrey Epstein Or if he is the scapegoat for the late financier.
Maxwell, 59, is accused of recruiting and grooming four teenage girls epstein between 1994 and 2004. Those accusers, who are now women in their 30s or 40s, said in emotional and candid testimony that Maxwell made it feel normal for them to touch Epstein – and that she sometimes touched his body herself.
In a three-week trial in federal court in Manhattan, Maxwell pleaded not guilty to charges of sex trafficking and other crimes. Epstein killed himself in a prison cell in 2019 at the age of 66 while awaiting trial on sexual abuse charges.
“Your task is to weigh the evidence in the case and determine whether the government has proved that Ms. Maxwell is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt,” U.S. District Judge Alison Nathan told 12 jurors and Provided five options.
The jurors deliberated within just an hour on Monday and will resume deliberations on Tuesday.
Earlier on Monday, prosecutor Alison Moe said in her closing argument that Maxwell was Epstein’s “partner in the crime.” She said that Maxwell, one-time girlfriend and Epstein’s employee, saw Epstein as a means to maintain his lavish lifestyle by helping abused underage girls.
Moe argued that Maxwell’s presence made the young girls feel comfortable spending time with Epstein. Otherwise, receiving an invitation to be with a middle-aged man would have seemed “scary” and “ringing alarm bells,” Mo said.
“Epstein couldn’t do it alone,” Mo said. “When that man is accompanied by a posh, smiling, respectable, age-appropriate woman, that’s when everything seems legitimate. And when that woman … acts like it’s okay for that man to touch those girls.” Kind of normal, so it lures them into the trap.”
Maxwell’s defense attorney, Laura Meninger, said Maxwell was an “innocent woman” targeted by prosecutors because Epstein is no longer alive.
She argued that the women’s memories had been corrupted over the decades, saying they were motivated by money to implicate Maxwell. All four women said they received millions of dollars from the victims’ compensation fund set up by Epstein’s estate.
The defense repeatedly pressured the women during cross-examination to explain why they did not mention Maxwell during their initial conversations with law enforcement agents about Epstein.
“They changed their stories when the Epstein Victims’ Compensation Fund was opened,” Meninger told the jury. “That should make you shy.”
Maxwell, 59, is accused of recruiting and grooming four teenage girls epstein between 1994 and 2004. Those accusers, who are now women in their 30s or 40s, said in emotional and candid testimony that Maxwell made it feel normal for them to touch Epstein – and that she sometimes touched his body herself.
In a three-week trial in federal court in Manhattan, Maxwell pleaded not guilty to charges of sex trafficking and other crimes. Epstein killed himself in a prison cell in 2019 at the age of 66 while awaiting trial on sexual abuse charges.
“Your task is to weigh the evidence in the case and determine whether the government has proved that Ms. Maxwell is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt,” U.S. District Judge Alison Nathan told 12 jurors and Provided five options.
The jurors deliberated within just an hour on Monday and will resume deliberations on Tuesday.
Earlier on Monday, prosecutor Alison Moe said in her closing argument that Maxwell was Epstein’s “partner in the crime.” She said that Maxwell, one-time girlfriend and Epstein’s employee, saw Epstein as a means to maintain his lavish lifestyle by helping abused underage girls.
Moe argued that Maxwell’s presence made the young girls feel comfortable spending time with Epstein. Otherwise, receiving an invitation to be with a middle-aged man would have seemed “scary” and “ringing alarm bells,” Mo said.
“Epstein couldn’t do it alone,” Mo said. “When that man is accompanied by a posh, smiling, respectable, age-appropriate woman, that’s when everything seems legitimate. And when that woman … acts like it’s okay for that man to touch those girls.” Kind of normal, so it lures them into the trap.”
Maxwell’s defense attorney, Laura Meninger, said Maxwell was an “innocent woman” targeted by prosecutors because Epstein is no longer alive.
She argued that the women’s memories had been corrupted over the decades, saying they were motivated by money to implicate Maxwell. All four women said they received millions of dollars from the victims’ compensation fund set up by Epstein’s estate.
The defense repeatedly pressured the women during cross-examination to explain why they did not mention Maxwell during their initial conversations with law enforcement agents about Epstein.
“They changed their stories when the Epstein Victims’ Compensation Fund was opened,” Meninger told the jury. “That should make you shy.”
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