A jury in New York federal court has found Ghislaine Maxwell guilty of five of six counts related to her role in the sexual abuse of minor girls by Jeffrey Epstein between 1994 and 2004.
Maxwell, 60, was found guilty of five federal charges: sex trafficking of a minor, carrying a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity and three related counts of conspiracy.
He was acquitted of a charge of luring a minor to travel to engage in illegal sex acts.
Maxwell, who now faces up to 65 years in prison, did not react when the verdict was read. Judge Alison Nathan did not set a sentencing date.
"The road to justice has been a long one. But, today justice has been done," US Attorney Damian Williams 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. Their courage and willingness to face their abuse made this case and today's outcome possible "
The jury, made up of six women and six men, deliberated for about 40 hours over the course of six days.
Prosecutors argued that Maxwell and Epstein conspired to establish a scheme to seduce young girls into sexual relationships with Epstein in New York, Florida, New Mexico and the US Virgin Islands from 1994 to 2004. During the trial, four women testified that Epstein abused them and that Maxwell facilitated and sometimes participated in the abuse.
Meanwhile, her defense said she was a "scapegoat" for Epstein's actions and attacked the memories and motivations of women who say they were sexually abused.
Maxwell's attorneys are working on the appeal, said attorney Bobby C. Sternheim.
"We firmly believe in Ghislain's innocence. Obviously, we are deeply disappointed by the verdict," Sternheim said. His team believes that Maxwell will still be upheld.
The trial, which began on November 29, alternated between disturbing testimony from sexual abuse victims and illuminating testimony about Epstein's connections to some high-profile celebrities.
Annie Farmer, one of the four accused who testified, said on Wednesday she hoped the verdict would bring consolation to the victims.
"I am greatly relieved and grateful that the jury has recognized the patterns of violent behavior that Maxwell has engaged in over the years and found him guilty of these crimes," she said. "He has hurt many more women than some of us who had the chance to testify in court."
Epstein, who pleaded guilty to state prostitution charges in 2008, was indicted on federal sex trafficking charges in July 2019 but died by suicide in prison a month later. His confidant and ex-girlfriend Maxwell was arrested a year later and has been in prison ever since.
It remains to be seen whether the others will be prosecuted. CNN legal analyst Eli Honig, a former prosecutor for the district where Maxwell was prosecuted, said it was not a two-person operation.
He pointed to civil lawsuits that link misbehavior to others.
“I think prosecutors have a real obligation to dig all the way to the bottom, and bring someone else to justice,” he said.
Maxwell also faces two pending perjury charges related to his 2016 civil statement.
What happened at the trial
The prosecution's case was based primarily on four women, with personal stories of Maxwell's role as facilitating Epstein's abuse.
Jane testified under a pseudonym that Maxwell conducted sexual massages with Epstein and sometimes engaged in abuse. The charges of solicitation - on which Maxwell was acquitted - and transportation are entirely related to his testimony.
Caroline testified that when she was 14, Maxwell touched her breasts, hips and buttocks and told her that "her body is too good for Epstein and his friends." The count of child sex trafficking - the most serious of all charges - pertains to her testimony.
"Kate" testifies that Maxwell invited her over and instructed her how to give Epstein a sexual massage. She said that Maxwell often talked about sexual topics with her and asked Kate to invite other young girls to Epstein's sexual desires.
The jury was instructed not to convict Maxwell in any of the cases based solely on Kate's testimony because she was over the age of consent at the time of the events.
Jury members may consider Kate's charges in addition to the testimony of Jane, Caroline and Farmer.
Farmer, the only accuser to testify under her full name, said she was 16 when Maxwell massaged her naked chest at Epstein's New Mexico ranch in 1996.
Prosecutors sought to link Maxwell and Epstein closely, saying their actions that normalized sexual massage were key to their international abuse plan at their properties in New York, Florida, New Mexico and the US Virgin Islands.