Ghislaine Maxwell sentenced to 20 years for helping Jeffrey Epstein sexually abuse teenage girls

Ghislaine Maxwell, the jet-setting British socialite who once consorted with royals, presidents and billionaires, was sentenced to 20 years in prison Tuesday for helping the financier Jeffrey Epstein sexually abuse underage girls.

The stiff sentence was the punctuation mark on a trial that explored the sordid rituals of a predator power couple who courted the rich and famous as they lured vulnerable girls as young as 14, and then exploited them.

Prosecutors said Epstein, who killed himself in 2019 while awaiting trial, sexually abused children hundreds of times, over more than a decade, and couldn't have done so without the help of Maxwell, his longtime companion and one-time girlfriendwho they said sometimes also participated in the abuse.

In December, a New York federal court juryconvicted Maxwell of sex trafficking, transporting a minor to participate in illegal sex acts and two conspiracy charges.

U.S. District Judge Alison J. Nathan, who also imposed a $750,000 US fine, said "a very significant sentence is necessary" and that she wanted to send an "unmistakable message" that these kinds of crimes would be punished.

Prosecutors had asked the judge to give her 30 to 55 years in prison, while the 60-year-old Maxwell's defence sought a lenient sentence of just five years.

Maxwell, wearing a blue prison uniform and a white mask to conform with coronavirus rules, looked to one side as the sentence was announced, but otherwise did not react.

"We will continue to live with the harm she caused us," said Annie Farmer, one of the four accusers who testified against Maxwell at trial, inside the courtroom before the sentencing.

Denies abusinganyone

When she had a chance to speak, Maxwell said she empathized with the survivors and that it was her "greatest regret of my life that I ever met Jeffrey Epstein." Maxwell called him "a manipulative, cunning and controlling man who lived a profoundly compartmentalized life," echoing her defence attorneys' assertions that Epstein was the true mastermind.

Maxwell, who denies abusing anyone, said she hoped that her conviction and her "unusual incarceration" bring some "measure of peace and finality."

Nathan refused to let Maxwell escape culpability, making clear that Maxwell was being punished for her own actions, not Epstein's. She called the crimes "heinous and predatory" and said Maxwell as a sophisticated adult woman provided the veneer of safety as she "normalized" sexual abuse through her involvement, encouragement and instruction.

Several survivors described their sexual abuse, including Farmer, who said she and her sister tried to go public with their stories about Epstein and Maxwell two decades ago, only to be shut down by the powerful couple through threats and influence with authorities.

Inside the crowded courtroom, three of Maxwell's siblings sat in a row behind her. Most of the others in attendance were members of the media.

'Partners in crime'

Assistant U.S. Attorney Alison Moe recounted how Maxwell subjected girls to "horrifying nightmares" by taking them to Epstein.

"They were partners in crime together and they molested these kids together," she said, calling Maxwell "a person who was indifferent to the suffering of other human beings."

Epstein and Maxwell's associations with some of the world's most famous people were not a prominent part of the trial, but mentions of friends like Bill Clinton, Donald Trump and Prince Andrew showed how the pair exploited their connections to impress their prey.

Over the past 17 years, scores of women have accused Epstein of abusingthem, with many describing Maxwell as the madam who recruited them. The trial, though, revolved around allegations from only a handful of those women.

Four testified that they were abused as teens in the 1990s and early 2000s at Epstein's mansions in Florida, New York, New Mexico and the Virgin Islands.

Three were identified in court only by their first names or pseudonyms to protect their privacy: Jane, a television actress; Kate, an ex-model from the U.K.; and Carolyn, now a mom recovering from drug addiction. The fourth was Farmer, the sole accuser to identify herself in court by her real name, after speaking out publicly.

They described how Maxwell charmed them with conversation and gifts and promises that Epstein could use his wealth and connections to help fulfiltheir dreams.

Then, they testified, she led them to give massages to Epstein that turned sexual and played it off as normal.

Carolyn testified that she was one of several underprivileged teens who lived near Epstein's Florida home in the early 2000s and took up an offer to massage him in exchange for $100 bills in what prosecutors described as "a pyramid of abuse."

Maxwell made all the arrangements, Carolyn told the jury, even though she knew the girl was only 14 at the time.