Ghislaine Maxwell Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Sex Trafficking

Six months after she was found guilty of five out of six charges related to sex trafficking and abuse of underage girls, Jeffrey Epstein’s accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell has been sentenced to 20 years behind bars.

She was also fined $750,000.

Maxwell was accused of conspiring with and aiding her former boyfriend Jeffrey Epstein in the abuse of four teenage girls between 1994 and 2004.

After the sentencing, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of NY Damian Williams said, “Today’s sentence holds Ghislaine Maxwell accountable for perpetrating heinous crimes against children. 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 [Jeffrey] 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."

Before her sentencing, Maxwell told the court, "I believe that Jeffrey Epstein was a manipulative, cunning and controlling man who lived a profoundly compartmentalized life and filled all of those in his orbit."

She spoke directly to her victims, who were sitting in the gallery, saying, "I am sorry for the pain that you experienced. I hope my conviction and harsh incarceration brings you closure."

Maxwell said something similar in December after hearing several victim impact statements, saying, “To you, all the victims ... I am sorry for the pain that you experienced. It is my sincerest wish to all those in this courtroom and to all those outside this courtroom that this day brings a terrible chapter to the end, to an end. And to those of you who spoke here today and those of you who did not, may this day help you travel from darkness into the light."