Background and Charges
Ghislaine Maxwell was arrested on July 2, 2020 and charged with:
- Sex trafficking conspiracy involving a minor
- Sex trafficking of a minor
- Transportation of a minor for criminal sexual activity
- Conspiracy related to transportation
- Perjury (two counts) — based on statements in her civil deposition
- Enticement of a minor
The charges covered conduct from approximately 1994–2004 involving four named victims (referred to as “Jane,” “Kate,” “Carolyn,” and a fourth).
Trial Venue and Judge
- Court: SDNY — Southern District of New York
- Judge: Alison J. Nathan
- Prosecutors: Alison Moe, Lara Pomerantz, Maurene Comey, Andrew Rohrbach
Jury Selection
Jury selection began November 18, 2021 and was complicated by:
- Extraordinary pretrial publicity
- The pool’s familiarity with the case
- Maxwell’s team’s extensive voir dire questions
Prosecution Case (November 29 – December 17)
Key Witnesses
Jane (anonymized): The first and most detailed victim witness. Testified about being recruited at age 14, years of abuse, and Maxwell’s direct role in facilitating abuse.
Kate (anonymized, British woman): Testified about being recruited as an adult but brought into the network and then trafficked.
Carolyn (real name disclosed in later proceedings): Testified about being recruited at 14 and abused at Epstein’s Palm Beach property. Her testimony was notable because she testified under her real name, putting a specific face and name to victim testimony.
Johanna Sjoberg: Testified about abuse and corroborated aspects of Virginia Giuffre’s account regarding Prince Andrew.
Documentary Evidence
The prosecution introduced:
- Epstein’s flight logs
- Palm Beach mansion appointment books showing victim visits
- Employment records for Maxwell as Epstein’s employee
- Maxwell’s own civil deposition statements
- Cash payments records to victims
- A massage table found at Palm Beach property
Defense Case (December 17-21)
Maxwell’s defense was limited — they called a few witnesses but notably did not call Maxwell herself:
- Expert witnesses challenged some prosecution evidence
- Character witnesses spoke to Maxwell’s professional reputation
- The defense argued the prosecution’s witnesses were testimony for compensation (they had participated in the victims’ fund)
Closing Arguments (December 20-21)
Prosecution: Repeatedly emphasized Maxwell “served up” girls to Epstein; stressed corroboration between witnesses who could not have coordinated.
Defense: Focused on witness motivation (compensation), unreliability of decades-old memory, and the claim Maxwell was being made a “scapegoat” for Epstein.
Verdict — December 29, 2021
After approximately 5 days of deliberations, the jury found Maxwell:
- GUILTY on 5 of 6 counts (not guilty on one enticement count)
- Convicted on sex trafficking, trafficking conspiracy, transportation
Sentencing — June 28, 2022
Judge Nathan sentenced Maxwell to 20 years in federal prison. Maxwell received no reduction for cooperation.
The Juror Issue
Shortly after the verdict, juror Scotty David gave media interviews and disclosed he had told fellow jurors about his own sexual abuse history during deliberations. He had not disclosed this during voir dire. Maxwell’s team seized on this as a basis for appeal.