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Ghislaine Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein both abused me in massage room, accuser claims

Witness 'Jane' testifies during Ghislaine Maxwell's trial on charges of sex trafficking, in a courtroom sketch in New York City,  - Jane Rosenberg/Reuters
Witness 'Jane' testifies during Ghislaine Maxwell's trial on charges of sex trafficking, in a courtroom sketch in New York City, - Jane Rosenberg/Reuters

The first of Ghislaine Maxwell’s accusers to take the stand has told jurors the British socialite abused her alongside Epstein in a massage room.

In the second day of the six-week long trial, the alleged victim, named only as Jane in court, told the jury that Epstein had sex with her multiple times when she was just 14 years old.

Maxwell, 59, faces sex trafficking and other charges for allegedly recruiting and grooming Jane and three other underage girls for the financier to abuse between 1994 and 2004

The cycle of abuse started when Epstein abruptly took her by the hand one day and said, "follow me," before taking her to a pool house at the home, the accuser told jurors.

Epstein then allegedly pulled down his trousers and performed a sex act.

Another time, she was taken to a massage room where he and Maxwell both took advantage of her, she said.

Other encounters involved sex toys or turned into "orgies" with other young women and Maxwell, she added.

Jane also claimed Epstein and Maxwell would take her shopping for clothes, including underwear from Victoria's Secret.

Ms Maxwell has pleaded not guilty to eight counts of sex trafficking and other crimes, including two perjury charges that will be tried at a later date.


10:47 PM

Court adjourned for the day

The second day of Ghislaine Maxwell's sex trafficking trial has come to a close.

The first accuser to take the stand broke down as she described how the British socialite “fondled” her breasts and forced her to take part in orgies with other young girls, reports Josie Ensor and Jamie Johnson from New York.

The woman, known by the pseudonym “Jane”, pointed Ms Maxwell out in the New York federal courtroom on the second day of the bombshell trial when asked by the prosecution if she was present.

Jane told the court that she was forced aged 14 to perform sex acts on the pair and that Ms Maxwell would order her to undress and give Jeffrey Epstein massages in his various homes in Florida, New Mexico and New York.

The woman, now a 41-year-old actress, dabbed her nose with a tissue and held back tears as she detailed how the pair would place vibrators in intimate places “even when I said it hurt.”

Jane told the jury how she was awarded $5 million by the Epstein Victim’s Compensation Fund set up after his death in 2019. It was only then she came forward with the accusations.

The defence has tried to claim Ms Maxwell’s four accusers have only come forward in an attempt to extract money from Epstein and his alleged co-conspirators.

Ms Maxwell has pleaded not guilty to eight counts of sex trafficking and other crimes, including two perjury charges that will be tried at a later date.


10:35 PM

Five key things we have heard during the trial today

  1. Ghislaine Maxwell and disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein allegedly summoned a 14-year-old girl to an orgy, leaving her "frozen in fear".
  2. Ms Maxwell was seen as the “number two” in the hierarchy of the financier’s operations, according to Epstein's private pilot.
  3. The socialite allegedly brought the then 14-year-old girl to lingerie shop Victoria's Secret to buy underwear.
  4. Maxwell and Epstein allegedly "gave instructions" to the teenager on how to the billionaire paedophile liked to be massaged.
  5. Prince Andrew, Donald Trump and Bill Clinton were among those who have flown on Epstein's private jet, which later became known as the Lolita Express.

10:15 PM

Maxwell's defence grills accuser on why she waited two decades to report abuse

Maxwell's defence lawyer Laura Menninger has grilled accuser Jane on why she waited 20 year to report the alleged abuse by Maxwell.

Menninger also asked if it was true she had previously spoken to her siblings and others close to her about Epstein's behaviour, but left Maxwell out of the earlier accounts.

"You never mentioned Ghislaine Maxwell?" the lawyer asked.

"I don't know," the accuser responded, adding she only remembered being uncomfortable with going into all the details.

The cross-examination is expected to continue through to Wednesday.


09:56 PM

Maxwell allegedly told accuser 'I'm a like an older sister to you'

Ghislaine Maxwell and disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein summoned a 14-year-old girl to an orgy and left her "frozen in fear", the court heard.

Jane said she did not tell anybody about the abuse because she was "terrified" and "felt gross and ashamed".

According to Jane, Epstein would use sex toys on her "even though it hurt" and the pair would "fondle" each other while "casually giggling" in front of the teenager.

Asked how she felt about that, Jane replied: "I was just shocked because I hadn't seen that before."

"How did Maxwell come across to you?"

"She seemed a bit odd and quirky. She would tease me at times but she was nice.

"She may have said 'I'm like an older sister to you'."


09:21 PM

Maxwell took accuser to cinemas and asked if she had a boyfriend, court hears

Jane also claimed that Maxwell would sometimes take her to cinemas or hang out by the pool at Epstein's house, and talk about school, including whether she had a boyfriend.

Prosecutors alleged in a 2021 indictment against Maxwell that behaviour like buying girls gifts and discussing sexual topics with them amounted to "grooming" them for abuse.

US attorney Alison Alison Moe questions an unidentified victim about her experiences with Jeffery Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell - Elizabeth Williams
US attorney Alison Alison Moe questions an unidentified victim about her experiences with Jeffery Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell - Elizabeth Williams

09:08 PM

Maxwell demonstrated how Epstein liked to be massaged, court hears

Jane described to jurors how Maxwell and Epstein would take her to a massage table in his Palm Beach house and demonstrate how he liked to be massaged.

She said Maxwell's demeanour was "very casual" during these interactions.


08:41 PM

Maxwell and Epstein abused me in massage room, says victim

On a separate occasion Jane claimed she was taken to a massage room where Epstein and Maxwell both took advantage of her, she said.

"There were hands everywhere and Jeffrey proceeded to masturbate again," she said.

Other encounters involved sex toys or turned into "orgies" with other young women and Maxwell, she added.

Ghislaine Maxwell's sister, Isabel, leans on a wall dejectedly as her sibling's trial continues - Jeenah Moon/Reuters
Ghislaine Maxwell's sister, Isabel, leans on a wall dejectedly as her sibling's trial continues - Jeenah Moon/Reuters

08:23 PM

Epstein offered to help with singing career before assaulting me, claims victim

After camp ended, Epstein invited her and her mother over for tea, Jane said, adding that she was later invited by Maxwell and other Epstein employees to come on her own.

On one of those occasions, Jane testified that Epstein offered to help her with her singing career before ending the conversation abruptly.

"He just took my hand and said follow me," Jane said. Epstein took her to the pool house and pulled down his pants, Jane testified.

He pulled me on top of himself and proceeded to (perform a sex act) on me and then he got up and went into the bathroom and cleaned himself up.

I was terrified and felt gross and I felt ashamed.


08:18 PM

Maxwell and Epstein approached me as I ate ice cream with friends at summer camp, says victim

Jane recounted to jurors the moment Maxwell and Epstein first approached her and a group of friends while they were eating ice cream at an arts summer camp in Michigan in the summer of 1994.

Jane was a singer but her family has been struggling financially after her father's death the prior year.

Jane testified that Epstein and Maxwell told her that they were benefactors of the camp and had helped many students with scholarships.

They asked for Jane's mother's number, which Jane gave.


07:18 PM

Maxwell accuser takes the stand

The first of four accusers against Ghislaine Maxwell, a woman known by the pseudonym Jane, has taken the stand.

On Monday a prosecutor revealed that Maxwell and Epstein had met Jane in 1994 at a summer camp when she was 14.

Epstein introduced himself as a donor interested in funding her education but ended up sexually abusing Jane, the prosecutor said.

Maxwell, 59, faces sex trafficking and other charges for allegedly recruiting and grooming Jane and three other underage girls for Epstein to abuse between 1994 and 2004.


07:03 PM

Ghislaine was Maxwell's 'go to person' for non business related matters, says pilot

Pilot Lawrence Visoski has told jurors: "He (Epstein) knew he was going to get busy so Ghislaine was his go-to person to handle everything that was not business related."

Maxwell and Epstein appeared to be a couple in the 1990s, but their relationship was purely based on business by the early 2000s, he added.

Visoski pictured being cross examined by Maxwell's defence lawyers - Jane Rosenberg/Reuters
Visoski pictured being cross examined by Maxwell's defence lawyers - Jane Rosenberg/Reuters

06:36 PM

Prince Andrew, Donald Trump and Bill Clinton among those aboard Epstein's jet

Jamie Johnson and Josie Ensor have the latest from New York.

It didn't take long for the rich and famous to be dragged into Ghislaine Maxwell's trial.

Under examination from the defence, Jeffrey Epstein's pilot of nearly 30 years, Lawrence Visoski detailed how he would fly celebrities, politicians and royalty around on a private Gulfstream jet.

Epstein would instruct Visoski of his plans only a day in advance, and they would jet between Palm Beach, New York, New Mexico, the private Caribbean island of Little St James and Paris.

When asked if he was familiar with Prince Andrew, Mr Visoski said: "Yes I am" and recognised that he was the son of Queen Elizabeth II.

He also remembered the Duke of York on Epstein's jet, though could not recall exactly when and where he was heading.

The first mention of the Duke has come on just the second morning of Maxwell's trial.

He is alleged to have had sex with a 17-year-old Virginia Roberts, who claims she was trafficked by Epstein. The Duke strenuously denies the allegations and neither he nor Roberts form part of the indictments against Maxwell.

But the Duke was not the only famous face on Epstein's jet. There were multiple mentions of former US president Bill Clinton, while Donald Trump also flew more than once, the pilot said. .


06:24 PM

Epstein gave pilot 40 acres of land and paid for daughter's college education, court hears

Visoski told jurors Epstein gave him 40 acres of land to build a house on the financier's New Mexico property and paid for his daughters' college education.

Epstein's plane was derisively nicknamed "The Lolita Express" by some in the media after allegations emerged he had used it to fly teenage girls to his private island, his New Mexico ranch and his New York City townhouse.

Flight records, made public as part of civil litigation, also showed that Epstein had used the plane to fly celebrities, influential academics and politicians around the globe.

Luminaries who flew with Epstein have had to beat back speculation that their presence on the flights meant they must have been aware of the millionaire's crimes.

Clinton, like others who took rides from Epstein, has said he was unaware of any misconduct.

Maxwell, 59, travelled for decades in circles that put her in contact with accomplished and wealthy people before her July 2020 arrest.


06:15 PM

Pilot claims he never found sex toys or used condoms while cleaning up Epstein's plane

Visoski showed no hesitation when asked by Maxwell's attorney if he ever saw sexual activity when he went for coffee or found sex toys when he cleaned up.

"Never," the pilot answered to both questions. He said he never saw used condoms either.

And when he was asked if he ever saw sex acts with underage females, he answered: "Absolutely not."

The pilot said Epstein never warned him to stay in the cockpit during flights and also encouraged him to use a bathroom near the rear of the plane that would require him to walk past the plane's couches.

Defence attorney Christian Everdell cross examines Lawrence Visoski  -  Elizabeth Williams
Defence attorney Christian Everdell cross examines Lawrence Visoski - Elizabeth Williams

He said he never saw any children on his planes who were not accompanied by their parents.

When Everdell asked him about a teenager who prosecutors say was sexually abused by Epstein before she became an adult, Visoski said he believed she was "mature" when he was introduced to her.


05:53 PM

Epstein's pilot says he saw no sexual activity on planes while transporting US presidents during flights

Epstein's private pilot has said he never saw evidence of sexual activity on planes as he shuttled his boss and others including ex-Presidents Bill Clinton and Donald Trump to destinations for nearly three decades

Lawrence Visoski, the trial's first witness, was responding to questions by Maxwell's defence lawyer when he acknowledged that he never encountered sexual activity aboard two jets he piloted for roughly 1,000 trips between 1991 and 2019.

He said he stayed in the cockpit for the majority of flights, but would sometimes emerge to go to the bathroom or get coffee.

Although he was called as a witness by the government, Visoski's testimony seemed to aid the defence of Maxwell as he answered questions posed by Maxwell's attorney Christian Everdell about what he saw when he straightened up the aircraft after a flight.


04:14 PM

Maxwell pictured conferring with defence attorney as pilot's testimony continues

A courtroom artist has pictured Maxwell conferring with her defence team as the testimony of Epstein's pilot continues into its second day.

Maxwell, wearing a mask and a beige top, is pictured conferring with her defence team at New York Court - Jane Rosenberg/Reuters
Maxwell, wearing a mask and a beige top, is pictured conferring with her defence team at New York Court - Jane Rosenberg/Reuters

04:05 PM

Photos of Epstein's home and properties shown during pilot's testimony

Prosecutors have shown jurors photographs of Epstein's homes and properties during Lawrence Vivoski's testimony.

Epstein killed himself in his Manhattan jail cell in August 2019 as he awaited a sex trafficking trial.

Maxwell has been held without bail since her arrest on charges alleging she recruited teenage girls for Epstein to abuse from 1994 to 1997.

Earlier this year, the indictment against her was expanded to accuse her of continuing to aid Epstein's sexual abuse of teenagers from 1997 to 2004.

Maxwell watches on as the jurors are shown pictures of Epstein and his private island - Jane Rosenberg/Reuters
Maxwell watches on as the jurors are shown pictures of Epstein and his private island - Jane Rosenberg/Reuters

03:45 PM

Judge excuses juror from case after spouse surprises him with Christmas holiday

US District Judge Alison Nathan said she had excused one juror from the case because his spouse had surprised him with a planned trip around the Christmas holiday.

As a result, 12 jurors and five alternates, instead of six, will continue hearing testimony from pilot Lawrence Visoski, in the expected six-week trial, which began on Monday.

Visoski's testimony is providing the remaining jurors with a sense of the lifestyle Epstein and Maxwell lived between 1994 and 2004, the period in which prosecutors say Maxwell lured four underage girls for Epstein to abuse.


03:23 PM

Maxwell was 'number two' in hierarchy of Epstein's operations, says pilot

Lawrence Visoski, the first witness in the sex trafficking trial of Maxwell, has described the British socialite as the 'number two' in the hierarchy of Epstein's operations.

Resuming his testimony on Tuesday afternoon, the former pilot for Epstein was asked where Maxwell stood in the hierarchy of Epstein's world.

Visoski said Maxwell "was the number two" and added that "Epstein was the big number one."

"She was the one that pretty much handled most of the finance, my expenses, spending in the office."

The testimony supports what Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Pomerantz told jurors in her opening statement Monday when she said Epstein and Maxwell were "partners in crime."

Pomerantz said Maxwell recruited and groomed girls for Epstein to sexually abuse from 1994 to at least 2004.


03:14 PM

Maxwell's sister arrives

Isabel Maxwell, Ghislaine's sister, has also now arrived at the courthouse.

On Tuesday Isabel, was the sole member of the Maxwell clan to turn out in support.

Even Ghislaine's husband, American entrepreneur Scott Borgerson, was notably absent.

Isabel Maxwell arrives for her sister's trial - Jeenah Moon/Reuters
Isabel Maxwell arrives for her sister's trial - Jeenah Moon/Reuters

03:00 PM

Pictured: Pilot Lawrence Visoski arrives at court

Lawrence Visoski, Jeffrey Epstein's private pilot has been pictured arriving at the courthouse for the trial for Ghislaine Maxwell.

Mr Visoki testified on Monday that Maxwell often contacted him to schedule flights for Epstein.

Maxwell's defence team will cross-examine Visoski after prosecutors finish their questioning today.

Jeffrey Epstein's former pilot, Lawrence Visoski,  - Jeenah Moon/Reuters
Jeffrey Epstein's former pilot, Lawrence Visoski, - Jeenah Moon/Reuters

02:47 PM

Maxwell a 'bullseye' for anger from victims, defence attorney claimed

Maxwell's legal team is aiming to spear accusers' stories as "thin," and their memories as "unreliable."

In opening statements on Monday, defence attorney Bobbi Sternheim argued their recollections have faded or been "corrupted" by forces including media attention and the prospect of "a big jackpot of money" in potential civil suits against Epstein's estate.

Sternheim had cast Maxwell as a "target" being blamed for the late Epstein's crimes.

The lawyer dubbed Maxwell a "bullseye" for "anger from women who were or who believe they were victimized by Epstein," whose death left "a gaping hole in the pursuit of justice."

Maxwell is "filling that hole," Sternheim said.


02:33 PM

Prosecutors to present flight logs showing names of Maxwell and alleged victims

In her opening statement on Monday, Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Pomerantz said prosecutors would present flight logs that included the names of Maxwell and some of the alleged victims.

"The defendant and Epstein made young girls believe that their dreams could come true," Pomerantz said.

"They were exploiting kids. They were trafficking kids for sex."

Maxwell's defense attorney, Bobbi Sternheim, said on Monday there was nothing inherently wrong with having private jets.

Sternheim reminded jurors that during jury selection, they had indicated to U.S. District Judge Alison Nathan that they "would not be biased by affluence or opulence."

Epstein's private planes "were used as commuter jets. Guy friends; past, present, and future girlfriends; and an array of other very interesting people - academics, politicians, scientists," Sternheim said. "

There were families on the flights and children on the flights."


02:31 PM

'We interacted quite often,' says pilot

Lawrence Visoski told the court on Monday afternoon that Maxwell often contacted him to schedule flights for Epstein.

Visoski described Maxwell as an office assistant of Epstein's who frequently flew on his private planes, but also said their relationship appeared to be "more personal than business."

"We interacted quite often," Visoski said of himself and Maxwell.

Visoski's testimony provides jurors with a sense of the lifestyle that Epstein and Maxwell lived between 1994 and 2004, the period in which prosecutors say she lured four underage girls to Epstein.

Visoski said he frequently shuttled Epstein and guests between Epstein's properties in New York, Florida, New Mexico, Paris and private islands in the Caribbean.