Ghislaine Maxwell, a disgraced socialite, was sentenced to 20 years in prison for a sex-trafficking ring involving young teens that she helped financier Jeffrey Epstein run for a decade.
The sentence handed down by U.S. District Judge Alison J. Nathan on Tuesday is the most concrete punishment yet for Maxwell and Epstein's years of abuse of young girls.
Several of those girls, now adults, testified during the trial, bravely revealing the years of abuse they endured after being drawn into Maxwell and Epstein's orbit. The allure of wealth and their connections to influential people like Prince Andrew, Bill Clinton, and Donald Trump were frequently used by the two.
"Today's sentence holds Ghislaine Maxwell accountable for heinous crimes against children," U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said in a statement issued by the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York. "This sentence sends a strong message that no one is above the law and that justice is never too late."
On Tuesday, the women were reheard. Over Maxwell's objections, eight women sent the court unredacted victim impact statements describing the long-term consequences of Maxwell's crimes. Nathan ruled that six victims could speak at the hearing if they so desired.
Prosecutors sought a sentence of up to 55 years in prison for Maxwell
Based on federal guidelines for crimes that are "heinous and predatory in nature," the US Probation Department recommended a 20-year sentence for Maxwell. However, prosecutors sought a sentence of 30 to 55 years in prison, citing the number of victims and Maxwell's refusal to accept responsibility.
Maxwell, 60, received her sentence approximately six months after a jury found her guilty of sex trafficking a minor and other serious felonies. Epstein, a convicted sex offender, died in a Manhattan correctional facility in August 2019. Authorities had apprehended him a month before. His death was determined to be a suicide.
Maxwell requested a much more lenient sentence of only about five years in prison, claiming she is being punished for the crimes of her longtime companion.
"Epstein was the mastermind, Epstein was the primary abuser," her attorney stated in a court filing earlier this month, which was notable because it was one of the few times Maxwell admitted sexual crimes occurred.
Maxwell's defense team stated that she has "had a difficult time" in the Metropolitan Detention Center where she is being held and that her life has been threatened there. Prosecutors, however, dismissed those claims, citing Maxwell's "complete lack of remorse" for her actions.
Prosecutors also asked Nathan to fine Maxwell $750,000, the maximum allowed for her crimes. They did not seek financial restitution, claiming that the victims involved in the case had already received money through the Epstein Victim Compensation Program and/or civil settlements.
Epstein lavishly compensated Maxwell, according to the United States
According to federal prosecutors, Maxwell and Epstein "worked together to identify girls, groom them, and then entice them to travel and transport them to Epstein's properties" between 1994 and 2004. They claim the couple frequently traveled between Epstein's Upper East Side mansion, a Palm Beach villa, a ranch in New Mexico, a private island in the United States Virgin Islands, and a Paris apartment.
In exchange, they claim, Maxwell lived a "lavish lifestyle" attended to by personal staff.
"Maxwell also received a townhouse in New York City that Epstein purchased for her, and Epstein transferred a total of approximately $23 million to Maxwell during the timeframe of the conspiracy," according to the sentencing memorandum.
Prosecutors also claimed that Maxwell "fostered a culture of silence" in Epstein's properties, instructing household staff to "see nothing, hear nothing, and say nothing" unless specifically asked.
The United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York did not seek to have Maxwell forfeit any real estate, claiming that the crimes in question were committed at Epstein's properties, not Maxwell's.
Eight survivors provided written victim impact statements
Eight women who claim Maxwell manipulated and abused them for years submitted victim impact statements to the court, which will be used to determine Maxwell's punishment. Some of them addressed the judge, while others addressed Maxwell directly.
They include Maria and Annie Farmer, sisters who came forward in the 1990s to alert authorities that Epstein was a serial sex predator who harmed girls and young women.
They described how their futures were stolen when they were young. Several victims stated that their abusers shattered their self-esteem and left deep wounds by preying on their youth and innocence.
"This toxic combination of sexual exposure and exploitation, feeling confused and naive, and blaming myself resulted in significant shame," Annie Farmer wrote in her statement. "That sickening sensation that makes you want to flee."
The victims described burying terrible memories for years only to have them resurface in their adult lives. They also discussed the ongoing difficulty of pursuing justice against someone who refuses to show remorse.
Victims claimed threats came after years of abuse
When Maria Farmer met Maxwell and Epstein in 1996, she said they ruined her career as an artist. She also told the judge that she has PTSD as a result of years of abuse and threats.
"She assured me that I could be killed walking down my favorite NYC path," Farmer explained. "....Her threats have never left my mind, and I am convinced she will harm me if she ever has the opportunity. Please keep this in mind when deciding on her sentence. She is a hazardous and devious person."
Sarah Ransome, another survivor, said Epstein and Maxwell threatened to kill her family if she tried to flee what she calls a "dungeon of sexual hell." Ransome, who fled to the United Kingdom in 2007, told the judge she has proof Epstein attempted to find her ten years later.
She also included photos of herself in the hospital, badly injured after surviving two suicide attempts, with her statement.
"To put it simply, Ghislaine Maxwell is a monster," wrote another survivor, Juliette Bryant, in a brief statement. Bryant, like others, expressed gratitude for the crimes being exposed and expressed hope that justice would be served.
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