US

Ghislaine Maxwell Sentenced To 20 Years For Epstein Sex Trafficking Case

[SDNY]

Nicole Silverio Media Reporter
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Manhattan Federal District Court Judge Alison J. Nathan sentenced Ghislaine Maxwell to 20 years behind bars Tuesday following her sex trafficking conviction.

Maxwell was convicted on five of six counts in December of conspiring to recruit, groom and sexually abuse underage girls and also found guilty of enticing girls to travel across state lines, sex traffic minors and encouraging them to engage in illegal sexual activity with her late accomplice, Jeffrey Epstein.

She was acquitted on count 2, which alleged that she enticed accuser “Jane” to travel with the intent of engaging in sexual activity, The New York Times previously reported.

Maxwell is only to be sentenced on two of three conspiracy counts after Judge Nathan agreed two of the counts were repetitive, CNN reported. Prosecutors have pushed for a 30-55 year sentence which complies with federal mandatory sentencing guidelines, though the probation department recommended 20 years. (RELATED: Lawyers Allege Cellmate Told Other Inmates That She Was Ordered To Kill Ghislaine Maxwell For Money) 

Her attorney requested between 4 and 5 years imprisonment, arguing the sentence is more fitting for Epstein, CNN reported.

The sixth count of trafficking then minor “Carolyn” carried a maximum sentence of 40 years imprisonment, according to the New York Times. The fourth count of transporting “Jane” to engage in sexual activity carried a maximum of 10 years, and the other three no more than 5 years.

“Today’s sentence holds Ghislaine Maxwell accountable for perpetrating heinous crimes against children,” U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said, according to the Department of Justice. “This sentence sends a strong message that no one is above the law and it is never too late for justice.  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.”