Ghislaine Maxwell was sentenced to 20 years in prison on Tuesday, months after a federal jury in New York found her guilty on five of six counts related to her involvement in Jeffrey Epstein’s sex-trafficking of teenaged girls between 1994 and 2004.
In December, Maxwell was found guilty of sex trafficking of a minor, transportation of a minor to engage in illegal sex, and three counts of conspiracy in connection with the other charges. She was found not guilty of luring a minor to travel to participate in illegal sex acts.
Four women testified that Epstein had sexually abused them while they were between the ages of 14 and 17. During a three-week trial the prosecution argued that Maxwell helped Epstein groom adolescent girls by priming them gradually in sexual actions.
Federal prosecutors recommended last week that Maxwell receive at least a 30-year sentence for her “instrumental role in the horrific sexual abuse of multiple young teenage girls,” according to a sentencing memorandum.
“As part of a disturbing agreement with Jeffrey Epstein, Maxwell identified, groomed, and abused multiple victims, while she enjoyed a life of extraordinary luxury and privilege,” the memorandum sid. “In her wake, Maxwell left her victims permanently scarred with emotional and psychological injuries. That damage can never be undone, but it can be accounted for in crafting a just sentence for Maxwell’s crimes.”
However, Judge Alison Nathan said she chose a lighter sentence because while Maxwell’s crimes were “heinous and predatory” she should not be “punished in place of Epstein or as a proxy for Epstein,” according to the New York Times.
Epstein died in jail in 2019. The medical examiner ruled the death a suicide.
The judge did, however, impose a $750,000 fine, which is the maximum under the law, the New York Times reported.
Several of the women read statements in court ahead of Maxwell’s sentencing, detailing the lasting effects the abuse has had on their lives, including suicide attempts and substance abuse issues.
“Maxwell is today the same woman I met almost 20 years ago — incapable of compassion or common human decency,” Sarah Ransome said. “Because of her wealth, social status, and connections, she believes herself beyond reproach and above the law. Sentencing her to the rest of her life in prison will not change her, but it will give survivors a slight sense of justice and help us as we continue to work to recover from the sex-trafficking hell she perpetrated.”
Maxwell apologized to the victims ahead of her sentencing on Tuesday, saying she was sorry “for the pain you have experienced” and that she hopes her “conviction and harsh incarcerations brings you peace and finality.”
She added that her association with Epstein “will permanently stain me,” calling it “the biggest regret of my life [that] I ever met him.