Maxwell sentenced to 20 years' jail for 'horrific' sex trafficking

NEW YORK • Ghislaine Maxwell has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for helping the sex offender and globetrotting American financier Jeffrey Epstein sexually abuse teenage girls, in what a judge called a horrific scheme that inflicted incalculable harm on victims.

The British socialite, 60, was convicted in December of five charges, including sex trafficking a minor, and for recruiting and grooming four girls to have sexual encounters with Epstein, then her boyfriend, between 1994 and 2004.

Speaking in the Manhattan federal court before her sentencing on Tuesday, Maxwell called Epstein a "manipulative, cunning and controlling man".

She said she was sorry for the pain that his victims experienced.

"It is the greatest regret of my life that I ever met Jeffrey Epstein," she said.

Maxwell's trial was seen as the reckoning that Epstein - who killed himself in jail in 2019 at age 66 while awaiting his own sex trafficking trial - never had.

It was one of the highest-profile cases in the wake of the #MeToo movement, which encouraged women to speak out about sexual abuse, often at the hands of wealthy and powerful people.

In imposing the sentence, US Circuit Judge Alison Nathan said Maxwell did not appear to express remorse or accept responsibility.

"Maxwell directly and repeatedly and over the course of many years participated in a horrific scheme to entice, transport and traffic underage girls, some as young as 14, for sexual abuse by and with Jeffrey Epstein," Judge Nathan said.

"The damage done to these young girls was incalculable."

Maxwell's lawyer Bobbi Sternheim said Maxwell would appeal.

"We all know that the person who should have been sentenced today escaped accountability, avoided his victims, avoided absorbing their pain and receiving the punishment he truly deserved," Ms Sternheim told reporters.

Judge Nathan said Maxwell's statements showed a "pattern of deflection of blame".

"Ms Maxwell was instrumental in the abuse of several underage girls," the judge said.

In often emotional and explicit testimony during the trial, Ms Annie Farmer, a woman known as "Kate" and two other women testified that Maxwell was a central figure in their abuse by Epstein.

During Tuesday's hearing, Ms Farmer, now a psychologist, said her experience being exploited by Maxwell "resulted in significant shame".

Kate said she was proud to help hold Maxwell accountable.

"Today, I can look at Ghislaine and tell her that I became what I am today in spite of her... and I will cast that empowerment on my daughter," Kate said.

REUTERS