Audrey Strauss, acting U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, points to a photo of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell during a 2020 news conference in New York. Photo: John Minchillo/AP
A federal judge in Manhattan sentenced former British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell to 20 years in prison on Tuesday, six months after she was convicted of helping longtime confidante and millionaire Jeffrey Epstein sexually abuse underage girls during the 1990s and 2000s.
Alison Nathan testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee during her confirmation hearing to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the Second Circuit, on Wednesday, December 15, 2021. Photo: Diego M. Radzinschi/ALM
U.S. District Judge Alison J. Nathan sentenced Maxwell, 60, on convictions of sex trafficking of a minor, transporting a minor with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity and three related counts of conspiracy.
Maxwell and Epstein’s victims were groomed or abused at Epstein’s residences in New York, Florida, New Mexico, and London, England, prosecutors said.
The judge, who also imposed a $750,000 fine and five years probation upon her release, said a significant sentence was necessary, and that she wanted to send an “unmistakable message” that these kinds of crimes would be punished.
“Ms. Maxwell is not being punished in place of Epstein nor as a proxy for Epstein,” Nathan said. “Ms. Maxwell is being punished for her role.”
Epstein killed himself in 2019 while awaiting trial, amid allegations he sexually abused children spanning more than a decade.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said in a statement the sentence held Maxwell accountable for perpetrating heinous crimes against children.
“This sentence sends a strong message that no one is above the law and it is never too late for justice,” Williams said. “We again express our gratitude to Epstein and Maxwell’s victims for their courage in coming forward, in testifying at trial, and in sharing their stories as part of today’s sentencing.”
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