Ghislaine Maxwell, pedophile Jeffrey Epstein's ex, arrested by FBI on sex trafficking ring-related charges
British socialite and heiress Ghislaine Maxwell, who became a confidante of billionaire pedophile and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and was accused of being complicit in his sex crimes, has now been arrested by the FBI.
Speaking to News 4 New York, two senior law enforcement sources revealed Maxwell was arrested in New Hampshire on sex trafficking ring-related charges. According to them, she is expected to appear in federal court later in the day.
Ghislaine, the daughter of media mogul Robert Maxwell, was a one-time girlfriend of the billionaire financier and is alleged to have later recruited and groomed young girls for sex with Epstein and his powerful friends.
Last summer, the registered sex offender was arrested on new federal charges of exploiting dozens of underage girls in New York and Florida in the early 2000s.
Epstein died under mysterious circumstances while in custody in early August. One day before his death, a federal appeals court had released the transcript of a 2016 deposition where the billionaire pedophile refused to answer whether Maxwell procured girls for him.
Since Epstein's death, which was ruled a suicide despite glaring discrepancies, Maxwell has tried to keep a low profile. Meanwhile, speculation was rife whether she would face repercussions for her role in Epstein's alleged abuses.
Maxwell first came into the spotlight in 1991 after her media baron father died from a fall off his yacht under mysterious circumstances. After his death, huge discrepancies in his companies' finances were revealed. Being in a vulnerable place after his death, she moved to New York. She then began her relationship with Epstein, a wealthy and influential financier. Although little is known about their relationship, Conchita Sarnoff, a former acquaintance of Maxwell and Epstein revealed documentary that she was quite taken by him.
"I didn't see Epstein in love with Ghislaine at all but I did sense that Ghislaine loved Epstein," Sarnoff has revealed in Reelz' 'Jeffrey Epstein & Prince Andrew: The True Story'. Maxwell took their relationship quite seriously too, she said. "Ghislaine actually told me that she had wanted to marry Epstein. I know directly from her that she was in love."
Sarnoff further added, "She was totally unprotected after her father passed away and Epstein came to her rescue so I think Ghislaine saw Epstein as a father figure in a way. It seemed like there wasn't any physical warmth between them," she said.
Maxwell remained associated with Epstein for many years even after their romantic relationship ended. In a 2009 deposition, Epstein's household employees testified that Maxwell was Epstein's "main girlfriend" and a major part of his public and private life. Maxwell has also been associated and photographed with Bill Clinton, Donald Trump, and lawyer Alan Dershowitz.
Australian activist and the most prominent alleged victim of Epstein's sex trafficking ring Virginia Roberts Guiffre has said that it was Maxwell who recruited her at Trump's Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach Florida and groomed her for Epstein. Maria Farmer, another alleged victim has said that Maxwell molested her and her 15-year-old sister along with Epstein.