Gislan Maxwell trial: British socialite targeted young girls before ‘serving them for sexual assault’, court says | US news

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In her opening statement at the New York trial of the British socialite, a US prosecutor said Ghislaine Maxwell targeted and manipulated young girls before “serving them for sexual assault”.

Jeffrey Epstein’s 59-year-old ex-girlfriend is facing six counts of soliciting minors and sex trafficking over the course of 10 years.

As her trial began, British social prosecutors described him and Epstein as “partners in crime” who made sexual abuse of teenage girls seem normal and casual.

Maxwell could be sentenced to 80 years in prison if found guilty of all charges.

Image: A sketch of the courtroom showing Maxwell sitting at the defense table during the final stages of jury selection

The trial got off to a slow start on Monday, with Maxwell showing up for court wearing a white long-sleeved shirt and white hoodie.

Twelve jurors and six alternates were sworn in after being chosen to hear the case, which is expected to last six weeks and see four victims testify.

In her opening statement, US Attorney Lara Pomerantz said Maxwell targeted young girls for sexual assault by Epstein.

“She exploited, manipulated, and serviced vulnerable young girls to subject them to sexual abuse,” she told jurors.

Pomerantz also said Maxwell and Epstein “were dangerous predators who sexually exploited and abused” children for a decade.

She called Maxwell “essential” to Epstein’s abuse of the girls, in an attempt to undermine the defense’s expected argument that she was unaware of his alleged crimes.

“Sometimes she was in the room doing the massage herself, sometimes she would touch the girls’ bodies,” Pomerantz said.

And even when she wasn’t in the room, make no mistake: I knew exactly what Epstein was going to do with these kids when I sent them into the massage rooms.

Photo: Jeslyn Maxwell and ex-partner Jeffrey Epstein

“She’s been in it from the start. Defendant and Epstein lured their victims with the promise of a bright future, only to sexually exploit them.”

In her opening statement on behalf of Maxwell, defense attorney Bobby Sternheim said, “Since Eve was blamed for tempting Adam with an apple, women have been blamed for things men did.”

She said Maxwell was “not like Jeffrey Epstein,” adding that he’s “the proverbial elephant in the room.”

“Yes, Jeffrey Epstein has manipulated the world around him and the people around him, including Gislin,” Sternheim told jurors, adding: “Gislin Maxwell is on trial as Epstein’s scapegoat.”

Sternheim said the case was about “memory, manipulation and money” and argued that Epstein’s four alleged victims had received multi-million dollar payments from a settlement fund set up by his company, as well as changed their stories over the years.

Photo: Sarah Ransom, the alleged victim of Jeffrey Epstein and Jessalyn Maxwell, arrives in a courtroom in New York

Prosecutors called ex-Epstein pilots, Larry Wisowski, to the stand as the first witness in the case.

Epstein’s flights were the source of intense press scrutiny after it was discovered that former President Bill Clinton, Alan Dershowitz, Prince Andrew and a host of other celebrities had flown on his plane.

Mr. Wisowski testified that Maxwell occasionally informed him of Epstein’s upcoming travel plans, and described Maxwell as “one of the assistants in Epstein’s office”.

The charges include four alleged minor victims at multiple locations from 1994 through 2004, the youngest of whom is said to have been 14 years old at the time.

Judge spends hours arguing with potential jurors

The long-awaited trial began not with fanfare, but with a whining as Judge Alison Nathan spent four and a half hours arguing with potential jurors, Sky political reporter Joe Pike reports from the New York courtroom.

One of them was fired after he admitted that he discussed the case with his friends. Another complained about financial hardship: their boss wouldn’t pay them for the duration of their jury work — the judge called their employer and paid leave was approved. A third potential juror said his wife booked a surprise Christmas holiday inconsistent with the trial.

Unlike a British court where the defendant is in the dock, Ghislaine Maxwell sat at a desk next to her lawyer to take notes. The black mask and dark clothing she wore at pre-trial hearings have now been replaced by a white mask and light-colored jacket. Her sister Isabel was also at court wearing a hat.

The 12-person jury and six substitutes have now taken the oath, and cautioned against communicating with anyone about the case including friends and family. “You are obligated to resist this temptation,” Judge Nathan said.

US prosecutors allege that Maxwell – a former employee and romantic partner of Epstein – gained the girls’ trust by taking them to the movies, sending them gifts like underwear and discussing sexual topics, according to the 2021 indictment.

Maxwell also faces two charges of perjury that will be tried separately.

She pleaded not guilty to all charges.

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6:11 Who is Ghislaine Maxwell?

Her lawyers claim that prosecutors are using the daughter of the late British media mogul Robert Maxwell as a scapegoat after they were unable to convict Epstein.

American financier Epstein died by suicide at the age of 66 in 2019 in a Manhattan prison cell while awaiting trial for a sexual assault charge.

“Left without fish to attempt to fry, the government belatedly turned to Mrs Maxwell,” her lawyers wrote in a February 4 note.

Photo: A queue of people, mostly journalists, wait to enter the courtroom for the start of the Ghislaine Maxwell trial in New York.

Maxwell’s attorney, Ms. Sternheim, told jurors Monday that Epstein “was like James Bond in the 21st century,” adding: “His mystery sparked interest. His accusers shook the money tree and millions of dollars fell their way.”

Prosecutors also said that Maxwell encouraged the girls to massage Epstein while she was fully or partially naked.

In some cases, Epstein or Maxwell pay the girls or offer them money for travel or education.

“The victims felt indebted, and believed that Maxwell and Epstein were trying to help them,” prosecutors wrote in the indictment.

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