On June 28, Ghislaine Maxwell was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for carrying out a years-long scheme with her longtime confidante (and former boyfriend) Jeffrey Epstein to groom and sexually abuse underage girls, media outlets reported.
According to CNN, Maxwell did not testify in her defense during the trial late last year, which ended with her conviction on five counts, including sex trafficking of a minor. However, before being sentenced, she spoke in court to the victims.
“Jeffrey Epstein should have been here before all of you,” Maxwell said at the podium, her legs shackled. “It is not about Epstein, ultimately. It is for me to be sentenced. I am sorry for the pain that you’ve experienced. I hope my conviction … brings you closure.”
Epstein, who pled guilty in 2008 to state prostitution charges, was indicted on federal sex-trafficking charges in July 2019 but died by suicide in prison a month later. Maxwell has been detained since her arrest in July 2020.