Two charges, including the lone count on which Maxwell was acquitted, applied only to Jane. Jane said in 1994, when she was only 14, she was instructed to follow Epstein into a pool house at the Palm Beach estate, where he masturbated on her. Maxwell made all the arrangements, Carolyn told the jury, even though she knew the girl was only 14 at the time.
They said the script would darken when Maxwell coaxed them into giving massages to Epstein that turned sexual, encounters she played off as normal: After one sexual massage, Kate, then 17, said Maxwell asked her if she’d had fun and told her: “You are such a good girl.”Ĭarolyn testified that she was one of several underprivileged teens who lived near Epstein’s Florida home in the early 2000s and took up an offer to give massages in exchange for $100 bills, which prosecutors described as “a pyramid of abuse.” They echoed one another in their descriptions of Maxwell’s behavior: She used charm and gifts to gain their trust, taking an interest in their adolescent challenges and giving them assurances that Epstein could use his wealth and connections to fulfill their dreams. The fourth was Farmer, who chose to use her real name after being vocal about her allegations in recent years. Three testified using first names or pseudonyms to protect their privacy: Jane, a television actress Kate, a former model from Great Britain and Carolyn, now a mom recovering from drug addiction. There were bank records showing he had transferred $30.7 million to Maxwell, his longtime companion - onetime girlfriend, later employee.īut the core of the prosecution was the testimony of four women who said they were victimized by Maxwell and Epstein at tender ages. Jurors saw physical evidence like a folding massage table once used by Epstein and a “black book” that listed contact information for some of the victims under the heading “massages.” Pilots took the witness stand and dropped the names of luminaries - Britain’s Prince Andrew, Bill Clinton, Donald Trump - who flew on Epstein’s private jets. “We firmly believe in our sister’s innocence,” he said in a written statement.ĭuring the trial, prosecutors called 24 witnesses to give jurors a picture of life inside Epstein’s homes - a subject of public fascination and speculation ever since his 2006 arrest in Florida in a child sex case.Ī housekeeper testified he was expected to be “blind, deaf and dumb” about the private lives of Epstein, a financier who cultivated friendships with influential politicians and business tycoons, and Maxwell, who had led a jet-setting lifestyle as the favorite child of a media mogul. Her brother, Kevin Maxwell, said the family believes she will be vindicated on appeal. The defense had insisted Maxwell was a victim of a vindictive prosecution devised to deliver justice to women deprived of their main villain when Epstein killed himself while awaiting trial in 2019. Their courage and willingness to face their abuser made this case, and today’s result, possible,” he said in a statement. “I want to commend the bravery of the girls – now grown women – who stepped out of the shadows and into the courtroom. Attorney Damian Williams praised the victims who testified against Maxwell after experiencing what he called “one of the worst crimes imaginable.” Even those with great power and privilege will be held accountable when they sexually abuse and exploit the young.” “I hope that this verdict brings solace to all who need it and demonstrates that no one is above the law. “She has caused hurt to many more women than the few of us who had the chance to testify in the courtroom,” she said in a prepared statement. One of her victims, Annie Farmer, said she was grateful the jury recognized Maxwell’s “pattern of predatory behavior.”
She did not hug her lawyers on the way out, a marked change from previous days during which Maxwell and her team were often physically affectionate with one another. She stood with her hands folded as the jury filed out, and glanced at her siblings - faithfully in attendance each day of the trial - as she herself was led from the courtroom. Afterward, she could be seen pouring herself water as one of her attorneys patted her back. As the verdict was read, Maxwell was largely stoic behind a black mask.
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