Ghislaine Maxwell arrest – Pleas to not let her kill herself in prison like Jeffrey Epstein
CALLS are growing to keep Ghislaine Maxwell on prison suicide watch so she does not try to kill herself in prison like her former boyfriend Jeffrey Epstein.
The British socialite, 58 was arrested today by the FBI and charged with helping the paedophile financier, who was found dead in a Manhattan prison last year, abuse young girls.
Maxwell is set to appear in court next week in Manhattan where she faces charges of grooming the girls between 1994 through 1997 by asking them about their lives, schools and families and taking them shopping or to movies.
Until her arrest today, she has been out of sight, ever since Epstein was arrested for sex trafficking last year.
When Epstein killed himself in August last year while awaiting trial the case against him died too.
But now victims, who have waited decades for justice, hope they now have the opportunity to hold Maxwell to account for her alleged role in grooming and abusing dozens of girls and women.
Yet many on social media fear the chance for justice could be thwarted if she kills herself in her cell like Epstein.
Actor Steven Pasquale, was one them, tweeting: “Ghislaine Maxwell has been arrested.
Now let’s keep her a** alive because she knows EVERYTHING.”
Meanwhile Carol Wick, a campaigner against violence against women, echoed this sentiment, saying: “It’s about time. Now keep her alive long enough to testify.”
Maxwell, 58, was arrested in Bradford, New Hampshire, according to the FBI.
She is charged with four counts related to procuring and transporting minors for illegal sex acts and two counts of perjury, according to the indictment by federal prosecutors in New York.
“Maxwell was among Epsteins closest associates and helped him exploit girls who were as young as 14 years old,” said acting Manhattan U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss. “Maxwell played a critical role in helping Epstein to identify, befriend and groom minor victims for abuse. In some cases, Maxwell participated in the abuse herself.”
She could face a potential life sentence, even if she pleads guilty, according to Mark Allenbaugh, the co-founder of Sentencing Stats, LLC and a former staffer with the U.S. Sentencing Commission.
Epstein was awaiting trial on federal charges of trafficking minors between 2002 and 2005 when he was found hanged in an apparent suicide while in a New York City jail in August.
Previously, he pleaded guilty in Florida to state charges of solicitation of prostitution from a minor in a 2008 deal with prosecutors that was widely criticized as too lenient.
The indictment accuses Maxwell of luring the girls beginning in 1994 through 1997 by asking them about their lives, schools and families and taking them shopping or to movies.
Strauss called Maxwell’s alleged acts “the prequel” to Epstein’s abuse.
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After Maxwell won the girls’ trust, the indictment alleges, she would try to “normalize sexual abuse” by discussing sexual topics or by undressing in front of them or being present when they were undressed.
The indictment alleges that Maxwell was well aware of Epstein’s preference for minor girls and that he intended to sexually abuse them.
Epstein’s alleged abuse included touching their genitals, placing sex toys on their genitals and having the girls touch Epstein while he masturbated.
Maxwell also encouraged the young girls to massage Epstein, and in some cases, the victims were partially or fully nude during the massages, according to the indictment.
Strauss said the abuse took place at Epstein’s homes in London, New York and Palm Beach, Florida.