Ghislaine Maxwell trial: Who are the alleged victims and what are the charges?

Published

4 years ago

November 27, 2021

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The long-awaited trial of Ghislaine Maxwell, who is facing six sex-trafficking charges, is due to start in New York on Monday.

The charges involve four alleged underage victims and multiple locations over a 10-year period between 1994 and 2004. The youngest alleged victim was 14 years old at the time.

Maxwell also faces two counts of perjury which will be tried separately.

She denies all the charges and has pleaded not guilty.

Jeffrey Epstein

Jeffrey Epstein, the wealthy financier and convicted sex offender, is at the heart of all the allegations. Prosecutors claim Maxwell “assisted, facilitated, and contributed” to Epstein’s abuse, which largely took the form of sexualised massages.

They argue Maxwell encouraged alleged victims to travel to Epstein’s residences across the US knowing that it “would result in their grooming for and subjection to sexual abuse”.

The defendant is also accused of taking part in group sex with Epstein and one alleged victim.

Epstein died in a New York jail in 2019 in an apparent suicide. He was awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges.

The Epstein-Maxwell relationship

In the 24-page indictment, the government claims that Maxwell was in an “intimate relationship” with Epstein between 1994 and 1997, and that for a longer period (1994-2004) he paid her to manage his properties.

The alleged victims

In the US, alleged victims of sexual abuse are not automatically entitled to lifelong anonymity as in the UK. However the judge in the Maxwell trial has decided that all four alleged victims will be able to use a pseudonym or just their first name. Judge Alison Nathan said this would avoid press intrusion and personal embarrassment.

Alleged Victim 1 – (1994-1997) – New York and Palm Beach, Florida

The first alleged victim was about 14 years old when, according to prosecutors, she first met Maxwell.

Maxwell is accused of grooming the young woman by taking her shopping and to the cinema, normalising abuse by undressing in front of her, and being present and involved in some of Epstein’s abuse.

The government claims this took place in Epstein’s New York townhouse and at his mansion in Palm Beach, Florida, and that the alleged victim was encouraged to travel between Mr Epstein’s residences.

Alleged Victim 2 – (1996) – New Mexico

The second alleged victim was under 18 when she was flown to Epstein’s New Mexico ranch at his invitation, prosecutors claim. They argue Maxwell knew the woman was under 18 and groomed her with shopping and cinema trips, and by discussing her school classes.

Maxwell is accused of giving the woman an unsolicited massage while the alleged victim was topless, and encouraging her to massage Epstein.

Alleged Victim 3 – (1994-1995) – London

Maxwell is accused of befriending the third alleged underage victim in London, and grooming her by asking about her life and family. Prosecutors claim Ms Maxwell introduced the woman to Epstein and encouraged her to give him massages, knowing that this would result in sexual abuse.

The location of the alleged abuse is not in the United States, but under US law crimes committed outside the country can be charged within it if the victim or victims are American citizens. The bombings of the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in August 1998, for example, were prosecuted and tried in a Manhattan federal court.

We therefore presume Alleged Victim 3 is an American citizen.

Alleged Victim 4 – (2001-2004) – Palm Beach, Florida

The fourth alleged victim lived in Florida and prosecutors claim she was about 14 years old when she was recruited to give Epstein sexualised massages for money at his Palm Beach mansion.

Maxwell is accused of grooming her by asking about her family, and normalising the abuse by discussing sexual topics and being present when the alleged victim was nude in Epstein’s massage room.

The government says Maxwell was among a number of Epstein employees who phoned the woman to schedule sexualised massages, paid her hundreds of dollars in cash and encouraged her to recruit other young females.

Prosecutors argue Maxwell and others on Epstein’s payroll sent the woman gifts, including lingerie. They also allege Ms Maxwell invited her to travel with Mr Epstein and help her apply for a passport – both offers were declined.

The charges

The six sex-trafficking charges relate to allegations across 10 years as detailed above, but in some cases they are linked to particular alleged victims:

1) Conspiracy to Entice Minors to Travel to Engage in Illegal Sex Acts – The first of the three conspiracy charges concerns all four alleged victims and focuses on the defendant allegedly encouraging them to travel so they could be abused. To prove ‘conspiracy’, prosecutors need to convince the jury that Maxwell and Epstein had an agreement to commit the crimes.

The government says Maxwell took part in group sex with Alleged Victim 1 and Epstein in New York and Florida, and encouraged her to travel between the two so she could be abused by Epstein.

They argue Maxwell gave Alleged Victim 2 an unsolicited massage, and encouraged Alleged Victim 3 to massage Epstein knowing she would be sexually abused.

Prosecutors argue Maxwell encouraged Alleged Victim 4 to travel outside of Florida with Epstein.

2) Enticement of a Minor to Travel to Engage in Illegal Sex Acts – Travel is again important here. The government says that Maxwell did “persuade, induce, entice, and coerce” Alleged Victim 1 to travel from Florida to New York so that the young woman could have sex with Epstein.

3) Conspiracy to Transport Minors with Intent to Engage in Criminal Sexual Activity – The second conspiracy charge also involves all four alleged victims, and touches on similar allegations to the first conspiracy charge.

Prosecutors claim Maxwell took part in group sex with Alleged Victim 1 and Epstein in New York and Florida on multiple occasions. They say that Maxwell “enticed” her to travel from Florida to New York so this abuse could take place.

Maxwell is also accused of giving Alleged Victim 2 an unsolicited massage in New Mexico when the young woman was topless.

Prosecutors say Maxwell encouraged Alleged Victim 3 to give Epstein massages knowing she would be abused.

They also claim the defendant encouraged Alleged Victim 4 to travel outside of Florida with Epstein.

4) Transportation of a Minor with Intent to Engage in Criminal Sexual Activity – This charge mainly focuses on Alleged Victim 1. Maxwell is accused of arranging for her to travel from Florida to New York multiple times so Epstein could sexually abuse her.

5) Sex Trafficking Conspiracy – This charge largely concerns Alleged Victim 4. Maxwell is accused of recruiting her, encouraging her to recruit others, enticing her to engage in sexual acts with Epstein, scheduling her massages, sending her gifts and paying her hundreds of dollars in cash.

6) Sex Trafficking of a Minor – Alleged Victim 4 is partly the focus here. Prosecutors say the defendant “recruited, enticed, harboured, transported, provided, and obtained individuals who were less than 18 years old” to have sex with Epstein.

Maxwell is also facing two charges of perjury (lying under oath) for which she will be tried separately. Both charges relate to a 2016 deposition, when Maxwell was questioned out of court but under oath about Epstein. Prosecutors allege she “repeatedly lied” in an effort to “conceal her crimes”.

7) Perjury – When asked if she was aware of a scheme to recruit underage women for sexual massages with Epstein, Maxwell replied: “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

She was asked to “list all the people under the age of 18 that you interacted with at any of Epstein’s properties”, and responded that apart from a 17-year-old linked to the deposition: “I’m not aware of anybody that I interacted with”.

8) Perjury – Maxwell said under oath she did not “recall” whether Epstein possessed sex toys. She also claimed she was unaware of Epstein having sex in the 1990s and 2000s with anyone apart from her, and two women with whom they had threesomes. Ms Maxwell also denied ever giving anyone a massage:

Q – Is it your testimony that you’ve never given anybody a massage?

A – I have not given anyone a massage.

Q – You never gave Epstein a massage, is that your testimony?

A – That is my testimony.

US

Several critically injured after vehicle ‘driven into crowd’ in Los Angeles

Published

2 days ago

July 19, 2025

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Several critically injured after vehicle 'driven into crowd' in Los Angeles

Three people are in critical condition after a vehicle drove into a crowd in Los Angeles.

The Los Angeles Fire Department’s (LAFD) public information officer Captain Adam Van Gerpen told Sky’s US partner NBC News the vehicle hit a taco cart before colliding with a large number of people outside a nightclub.

“Apparently there was a vehicle that had somebody who lost consciousness,” he said. “We have reports that there was a gunshot wound in one of the patients.”

Pictures from the scene in Santa Monica Boulevard, in East Hollywood, show a damaged grey vehicle which has mounted the pavement with debris strewn across the ground.

Sergeant Travis Ward, central traffic division watch commander at the Los Angeles Police Department, said it was too early to say if the incident was intentional and that an investigation was ongoing.

The LAFD said three people are in critical condition, six in serious condition and 19 in fair condition.

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US

Trump sues Wall Street Journal and Rupert Murdoch for $10bn after Epstein letter report

Published

2 days ago

July 19, 2025

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Trump sues Wall Street Journal and Rupert Murdoch for bn after Epstein letter report

Donald Trump has filed a lawsuit against Rupert Murdoch, two Wall Street Journal reporters and the publication’s owner, News Corp.

The US president has accused the named individuals of defamation, claiming they acted with malicious intent and caused him overwhelming financial and reputational harm.

The lawsuit, which was filed in Miami, seeks at least $10bn (£7.5bn) in damages.

In a post on Truth Social, Mr Trump called the lawsuit “historic legal action” which was filed on behalf of himself and all Americans who he said will “no longer tolerate the abusive wrongdoings of the Fake News Media”.

“I hope Rupert and his ‘friends’ are looking forward to the many hours of depositions and testimonies they will have to provide in this case,” he wrote.

It comes after Mr Trump claimed that a letter he allegedly wrote to paedophile Jeffrey Epstein was “fake” and said he would sue the “ass off” Rupert Murdoch, who owns the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), which first published the story.

The publication had said Mr Trump wrote the letter as part of a collection Epstein’s former girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell, planned to give him as a 50th birthday present in 2003.

It claimed the message, allegedly from Mr Trump, featured several lines of typewritten text, concluding with: “May every day be another wonderful secret.”

The text was framed by what appeared to be a hand-drawn outline of a naked woman, the WSJ claimed. The letter is also said to have featured the signature “Donald”.

Mr Trump immediately denied writing the letter when the WSJ report was published on Thursday night.

“The Wall Street Journal printed a FAKE letter, supposedly to Epstein,” he wrote on Truth Social.

“These are not my words, not the way I talk. Also, I don’t draw pictures. I told Rupert Murdoch it was a Scam, that he shouldn’t print this Fake Story. But he did, and now I’m going to sue his ass off, and that of his third rate newspaper.”

Mr Trump ignored questions about Epstein as he signed a cryptocurrency bill at the White House earlier on Friday.

The president’s lawsuit comes as the US government filed a motion to unseal grand jury transcripts related to Epstein, who took his own life while awaiting trial in 2019.

In a Manhattan federal court filing, the Department of Justice said the criminal cases against Epstein and Maxwell are a matter of public interest, justifying the release of associated grand jury transcripts.

Earlier on Friday, Mr Trump said attorney general Pam Bondi had been asked to release the transcripts because of “the ridiculous amount of publicity given to Jeffrey Epstein”.

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The justice department previously said it had around 200 documents relating to Epstein and that the FBI had thousands more.

It is unknown how much of this is grand jury testimony, which is typically kept secret under US law.

The president has faced increased scrutiny over his alleged friendship with Epstein since his administration’s U-turn on the so-called ‘Epstein files’.

Mr Trump pledged to release files on Epstein during his presidential campaign, as his MAGA movement accused the Biden administration of suppressing the extent of Epstein’s paedophilia, predatory behaviour and his so-called “client list” – thought to contain names of the rich and famous who conspired with him in his child sex trafficking operation.

But after a review of the evidence the US government has, the Justice Department recently determined that no “further disclosure would be appropriate or warranted”.

Venezuela releases jailed Americans in prisoner swap

The Trump administration said on Friday that it had negotiated an exchange with Venezuela, resulting in the release of 10 jailed Americans.

US secretary of state Marco Rubio said the prisoners, who had been held in the South American country, were “on their way to freedom”.

In return, 252 Venezuelan migrants being held in El Salvador have been freed, the Venezuelan government said.

They had been held in the notorious maximum security CECOT prison after being deported by the US.

US

Trump denies claim he wrote birthday letter to Jeffrey Epstein – and says he has ordered release of more case files

Published

3 days ago

July 18, 2025

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Trump denies claim he wrote birthday letter to Jeffrey Epstein - and says he has ordered release of more case files

Donald Trump has called an alleged letter he wrote to paedophile Jeffrey Epstein “fake” and said he will sue the “ass off” Rupert Murdoch, who owns the paper that first published the claim.

In multiple posts on Truth Social, the US president accused The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) of fabricating the letter that it claimed was written by Mr Trump as part of a collection of letters addressed to Epstein that his former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell planned to give him as a birthday present in 2003.

According to documents seen by the WSJ, Mr Trump’s letter featured several lines of typewritten text framed by what appeared to be a hand-drawn outline of a naked woman.

The paper said the letter concludes “Happy Birthday – and may every day be another wonderful secret”, and featured the signature “Donald”, allegedly drawn across the woman’s waist, meant to mimic the appearance of pubic hair.

Responding to the WSJ’s claims, Mr Trump wrote: “The Wall Street Journal printed a FAKE letter, supposedly to Epstein. These are not my words, not the way I talk. Also, I don’t draw pictures.

“I told Rupert Murdoch it was a Scam, that he shouldn’t print this Fake Story. But he did, and now I’m going to sue his ass off, and that of his third rate newspaper. Thank you for your attention to this matter! DJT.”

He said earlier he would also sue the WSJ and News Corp, which Mr Murdoch owns. The WSJ is published by News Corp subsidiary company, Dow Jones & Co.

The Justice Department has not responded to the WSJ and the FBI declined to comment.

In a separate post, Mr Trump said he has asked the attorney general, Pam Bondi, to release “any and all pertinent grand jury testimony” in the case of the paedophile financier who was found dead in his Manhattan cell in August 2019, shortly after he was arrested on sex trafficking charges.

Analysis: The credibility of the Epstein-Trump letter rests on the word of the WSJ – until an actual document is produced

Classy, it’s not.

The alleged letter sent to Jeffrey Epstein by Donald Trump has a typewritten note inside the hand-drawn outline of a woman. There’s a squiggly signature – “Donald” – below the waist.

It shows friendship, certainly – the dialogue from “Donald” to “Jeffrey” reads: “Happy birthday – and may every day be another wonderful secret.”

However, it doesn’t quite produce definitive proof of impropriety.

The Wall Street Journal hasn’t produced the document and, until it does, the story’s credibility rests on its word.

Whether it rests easy will be tested by Team Trump – it was clear last night that prominent MAGA figures were rallying to the president’s cause and turning their anger towards the Wall Street Journal – circling the wagons and shooting the messenger.

Trump has threatened to sue the Wall Street Journal and has targeted its owner, old friend Rupert Murdoch. “I’ll sue his ass off,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

It’s a billionaires’ struggle symptomatic of the wider acrimony. Trump can pursue Rupert Murdoch through the courts, but the MAGA millions will be more difficult to pin down.

Trump supporters who stood behind him as he screamed “cover-up” by the so-called “deep state”. They stand before him now, let down.

Donald Trump has authorised his attorney-general Pam Bondi to release grand jury testimony in the Jeffrey Epstein investigation – it’s something, but it’s far short of everything.

He is the man who did more than most to bake conspiracy theory into US political culture, so he can hardly complain it turns on him.

It has, and how.

The release of any documents, Mr Trump said, would be subject to approval by a court.

The justice department has previously said it had around 200 documents relating to Epstein and that the FBI had thousands more. It is unknown how much of this is grand jury testimony – which is typically kept secret under US law.

Ms Bondi responded to the president on X, writing: “President Trump-we are ready to move the court tomorrow to unseal the grand jury transcripts.”

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Elon Musk, who claimed last month that Mr Trump appears in the Epstein files, was surprisingly among the first to come to the president’s defence over the WSJ claims.

“It really doesn’t sound like something Trump would say tbh,” the tech billionaire wrote on X, before going on to ask where the evidence against Epstein allegedly held by the FBI had gone.

The Trump administration has come under criticism after the president appeared to U-turn on his own promise to release more information about the Epstein case publicly.

In the run-up to the US election last year, Mr Trump drew on rumours and conspiracy theories that appeared to accuse the Biden administration of suppressing the extent of Epstein’s paedophilia, predatory behaviour and his so-called “client list” – thought to contain names of the rich and famous who conspired with him in a child sex trafficking operation.

Ms Bondi fuelled these rumours in February by telling Fox News that the alleged Epstein client list was “sitting on my desk right now to review”.

In the same month, the justice department released some government documents regarding the case, but there were no new revelations.

After a months-long review of additional evidence, the department earlier this month released a video meant to prove that Epstein killed himself, but said no other files related to the case would be made public.

The decision was criticised by many in Mr Trump’s Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement, who Mr Trump later called “weaklings”.

Sky News has contacted the White House for further comment.