Ghislaine Maxwell, the
British socialite and close friend of Jeffrey Epstein, has reportedly been arrested in relation to Epstein’s sex crimes.
Maxwell was arrested by the
FBI and is expected to appear in a federal court, US media reported, citing two senior law enforcement sources.
Prosecutors say she conspired to entice minors to travel to engage in illegal sex acts with Epstein in as early as 1994, according to an indictment filed in
New York and obtained by HuffPost.“Maxwell assisted, facilitated, and contributed to Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse of minor girls by, among other things, helping Epstein to recruit, groom, and ultimately abuse victims known to Maxwell and Epstein to be under the age of 18,” a copy of the indictment reads.
She faces six counts in all, including conspiracy, enticement and transportation of a minor to travel to engage in illegal sex acts, and two counts of perjury over testimony she gave before the Southern District of New York in 2016 about her role and knowledge of the sexual abuse.
Maxwell has previously denied allegations of having a role in Epstein’s crimes, including allegations that she helped recruit young girls and
Women for him. She has not faced charges.
Epstein, who was convicted in 2008 on an underage prostitution charge, has been accused by dozens of women of
Sexual Abuse — some when they were as young as 14. He died by suicide in August while awaiting trial on charges of sex trafficking in New York.
One of Epstein’s alleged victims, Jennifer Araoz, filed a lawsuit against Epstein’s estate shortly after his death that implicated Maxwell in his crimes. Araoz said though she personally did not have contact with Maxwell, Maxwell was among those in his inner circle who was “maintaining and concealing the sex trafficking ring that Mr. Epstein was involved in,” her attorney has said.
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