The FBI arrested Ghislaine Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein’s former partner, for sexual abuse and child trafficking. The woman, who was accused of being part of the American tycoon’s pedophile network, was arrested.
BEDFORD, New Hampshire (Agencies) – Ghislaine Maxwell, former partner of Jeffrey Epstein, was arrested Thursday morning in Bedford, New Hampshire, in the northeastern United States. The FBI confirmed.
Ten days ago, the 58-year-old woman, born in France but of British nationality, was located in Paris by British media. However, the US federal authorities confirmed her arrest in US territory, although they have not yet given any information regarding the charges against her.
According to federal sources, Maxwell will be brought before the state court today to face the charges against her, although they are linked to the sexually exploitative activity for which the financier was arrested last August.
According to court documents, not yet public, criminal prosecutors charged Maxwell with one count of conspiracy to hire minors to travel and participate in illegal sexual acts, one count of confinement of a minor to engage in unlawful sexual acts, one count of conspiracy to transport minors with intent to participate in criminal sexual activities and two counts of perjury.
Maxwell, the daughter of the disgraced tycoon Robert Maxwell, former owner of Mirror Group Newspapers, was in the eye of the storm for being accused of being part of the prostitution, child trafficking and sexual abuse ring of her former partner, millionaire financier Epstein, who allegedly committed suicide in his cell in a New York City penitentiary on August 10.
According to the victims’ accounts to investigators, the abusive situations were either in New York, Palm Beach, the Virgin Islands, or a Les Wexner country house, where the nightmares came to life. It was Ghislaine who urged them to satisfy Epstein’s sexual desires. She chose them, recruited them, told them what to do, and often participated in the abuse. It was also Maxwell who handed them over to the powerful and influential by order of the financier.
Young girls who complained or wanted to get away from the Epstein world, or worse, who were encouraged to report abuse and rape, had to endure Ghislaine’s fury and threats. She chased them, harassed them on the phone, reminded them that she was going to make their lives hell. Each of them crudely described these dramatic moments in the documentary – Jeffrey Epstein: Disgustingly Rich – that Netflix aired in recent weeks.
For years – more precisely since the first conviction that branded Epstein as an abuser, in 2008 – Maxwell tried to dodge the accusations against him and the uncomfortable questions of the press. At 58 years old, Maxwell, when her views on the facts, her side of the story, were sought, only denied the accusations and repeated that she was innocent, that she never participated in or facilitated the abuses.
In an interrogation with the police in 2016, with her former partner still alive and at large, she stated that she performed many functions in Epstein’s house, which had hired many employees to perform various tasks on its different properties. She was asked more specifically if she had hired masseurs: “That was a tiny part of my job. I hired, occasionally, professional masseurs for Epstein. I never hired anyone I knew was underage,” Ghislaine replied.
Throughout her relationship with Epstein, Maxwell’s official residence was in New York. It was a five-story house bought by an unknown company but housed in the offices of his ex. The house was ten blocks from Epstein’s mansion. It cost $5 million. And no one was in any doubt that it was the financier who provided the money.
After Epstein’s conviction in 2008, the socialite continued to appear at exclusive events. She lowered her profile, the frequency of her appearances but its confinement was not immediate. She launched an ocean care foundation, was a speaker at TED talks, attended awards ceremonies on the arm of Elon Musk, participated in the wedding of Chelsea Clinton, Bill and Hillary’s daughter. She vanished when Epstein’s luck changed.
