Jeffrey Epstein’s Associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, Has Been Arrested

Socialite Ghislaine Maxwell has been arrested by the FBI, per the Associated Press.

Confirming the arrest, an FBI rep said she was taken into custody around 8:30 a.m. on Thursday in New Hampshire. And this comes after the associate of the late Jeffrey Epstein was publicly accused by many women of having helped “recruit” underage girls for Epstein.

Maxwell is said to have “assisted, facilitated, and contributed to Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse of minor girls by, among other things, helping Epstein to recruit, groom, and ultimately abuse” them.

Per Complex:

Maxwell’s participation in methods of having “enticed and groomed” the victims are detailed in the indictment as including befriending them prior to abuse, taking victims shopping or to the movies, and normalizing abuse by undressing in front of them or discussing “sexual topics.”

In some instances, per the indictment, Maxwell had been “present for and participated in” the abuse of minor victims. The victims, prosecutors state, were “as young as 14” at the time.

Among the charges are conspiracy to entice minors to travel to engage in illegal sex acts, enticement of a minor to travel to engage in illegal sex acts, conspiracy to transport minors with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, and transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. Additionally, Maxwell has been charged with two counts of perjury.

Acting U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss added in a press release, “As alleged, Ghislaine Maxwell facilitated, aided, and participated in acts of sexual abuse of minors. Maxwell enticed minor girls, got them to trust her, and then delivered them into the trap that she and Jeffrey Epstein had set. She pretended to be a woman they could trust. All the while, she was setting them up to be abused sexually by Epstein and, in some cases, Maxwell herself. Today, after many years, Ghislaine Maxwell finally stands charged for her role in these crimes.”

See the press conference below: