Yahoo News Ghislaine Maxwell trial – live: Defence to quiz former Epstein employee after graphic sex toy testimony
Day five of the trial of British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell starts in New York City, as the 59-year-old answers to charges related to her alleged involvement in financier Jeffrey Epstein’s sex crimes.
Epstein’s former housekeeper, Juan Alessi, testified in detail on Thursday afternoon about his duties at the Palm Beach mansion.
Meanwhile, the court had previously heard from Epstein’s longtime pilot Larry Visoski who flew passengers including Bill Clinton, Prince Andrew, and Donald Trump and said he never saw either Ms Maxwell or Epstein being inappropriate with a minor.
Ms Maxwell, who spent decades rubbing shoulders with British royals and US presidents, is accused of recruiting and grooming underage girls for the late disgraced financier to sexually abuse between 1994 and 2004.
If found guilty, she faces up to 35 years in jail. The trial is expected to last six weeks.
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Key Points
‘Three massages a day’: Read testimony of Jeffrey Epstein’s housekeeper
‘Lady of house’ Ghislaine Maxwell told staff never to look at Jeffrey Epstein’s eyes
Ghislaine Maxwell wrote 58 page rule book for staff at Florida mansion
What we’ve learned so far from inside the courtroom
Where was Jeffrey Epstein’s island and what exactly was it?
13:05 , Eleanor Sly
The guests came from across the world, and from the highest ranks of society: celebrities and scientists and members of royal families, touching down in a private jet and then boarding a helicopter to the island. Its owner liked to call it “Little St Jeff”; locals called it “paedophile island”.
But what is the truth about Little St James, the 75-acre private paradise in the US Virgin Islands that billionaire sex abuser Jeffrey Epstein once called home?
The island is now at the centre of a web of lawsuits and criminal investigations seeking to untangle the life of Jeffrey Epstein, who died in prison in 2019 at the age of 66 in what authorities claimed was a suicide.
Io Dodds reports:
Where was Jeffrey Epstein’s island and what exactly was it?
The latest exhibit images released from the trial
12:29 , Eleanor Sly
Here are the latest exhibit images released from the trial:
Ghislaine Maxwell wrote 58 page rule book for staff at Florida mansion
10:59 , Eleanor Sly
Ghislaine Maxwell wrote a household manual for staff working at Jeffrey Epstein’s Florida home.
The 58-page-long rule book instructed employees to “see nothing, hear nothing, say nothing”, a former housekeeper to Epstein revealed in testimony to the court on Thursday.
Juan Alessi read from a 58-page document titled “Household Manual” which listed rules that Maxwell set for employees working at the 10 bed Palm Beach mansion.
The former house manager, who was an employee of Epstein for more than 10 years, said “I was supposed to be blind and dumb,” and that he was “to say nothing of their lives.”
“There were many, many, many rules,” he added.
‘Lady of house’ Ghislaine Maxwell told staff never to look at Jeffrey Epstein’s eyes, former housekeeper says
09:47 , Eleanor Sly
A former housekeeper to Jeffrey Epstein has said that Ghislaine Maxwell told him never to look the disgraced financier in the eyes.
Juan Patricio Alessi, who worked at Epstein’s house in Palm Beach, Florida, testified before a New York jury on Thursday that Ms Maxwell was the “lady of the house” and gave him “many, many instructions”.
He said that Ms Maxwell, 59, told him to “only speak to Mr Epstein when he asked questions” and demanded “extensive preparations” whenever Epstein visited.
Io Dodds reports:
‘Lady of house’ Ghislaine Maxwell told staff not to meet Epstein’s eyes, court hears
08:51 , Eleanor Sly
Jeffrey Epstein’s former housekeeper told the court on Thursday that a large dildo, pornographic tapes and a leather black costume could be found in the disgraced financier’s massage room.
Juan Patricio Alessi said that he that the sex items were kept in Epstein’s girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell’s closet as “I know everything that happened in that house”.
Mr Alessi was asked about the massages by Assistant United States Attorney Maurene Comey.
She said: “What items were you instructed to buy for the massages?”
“I don’t recall buying any oils or perfumes because they were purchased by Ms Maxwell.”
“Was the door open when Mr Epstein was having a massage?”
“No, never.”
“Where was the massage table kept?”
“In Mr Epstein’s closet.”
“What do you remember finding after Mr Epstein’s massages?”
“I remember finding a large dildo,” he replied.
What we’ve learned so far from inside the courtroom
07:50 , Eleanor Sly
The Ghislaine Maxwell trial began with a sentence that attempted to distill the complex case which spans decades and jurisdictions, and pierces the normally secretive world of America’s ultra wealthy elite.
“I want to tell you about a young girl named Jane,” prosecutor Lara Pomerantz told the jury of five men and seven women.
The US federal government’s case against Ms Maxwell, 59, centres around her decades-long relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. It alleges she operated as his enabler in luring vulnerable teenage girls with promises of scholarships, attention and financial assistance for their families, and coerced them into becoming objects for his sexual gratification.
Bevan Hurley explains:
What we’ve learned so far from the Ghislaine Maxwell trial
Ghislaine Maxwell trial: Housekeeper drove accuser ‘Jane’ to Epstein’s Palm Beach mansion aged 14, court hears
07:49 , Jon Sharman
Jeffrey Epstein’s former housekeeper testified that the first accuser in Ghislaine Maxwell’s sex trafficking trial was a frequent visitor to his Palm Beach mansion when she was 14 years old, writes Bevan Hurley.
Juan Patricio Alessi, who worked at Epstein’s Palm Beach property for 12 years, gave evidence on day four of Ms Maxwell’s trial in New York’s federal courthouse.
Mr Alessi said Ms Maxwell was the “lady of the house” and maintained an iron grip over every aspect of life at the Palm Beach mansion. He also told jurors disgraced financier Epstein received up to three massages a day.
Epstein housekeeper says he drove accuser ‘Jane’ to Epstein’s Palm Beach mansion
Epstein house to be kept 'completely private'
07:07 , Arpan Rai
During the trial, Epstein’s housekeeper Juan Alessi said he quit working for the American financier after he was diagnosed with an illness that made him bleed. He said that he was also “very, very tired with the job”, Daily Wire’s reporter Mairead Elordi says.
Before leaving, he was made to sign an agreement which banned him from talking about his employer Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell’s lives and details about it were to be kept “completely private”.
But after he ran into marital and financial troubles, Mr Alessi broke into Epstein’s house to steal $100 bills amounting to $6,300 (£4,737) in cash.
Epstein then contacted Mr Alessi and told him they “need to talk” and upon meeting him, the convicted sex offender showed him a photo of Mr Alessi breaking into his house.
However, he refused to press charges against the manager and told him that the stolen money can be treated as a loan. Mr Alessi is reported to have paid that money back and never saw Epstein again.
98% of Epstein massagers were women: Alessi
05:16 , Arpan Rai
Juan Alessi, the manager of Jeffrey Epstein’s Palm Beach house, told the court on Thursday that all the massage appointments for Epstein were scheduled by Ms Maxwell, and that 98 per cent of those called to give the massages were women.
The deceased sex offender’s partner also asked Mr Alessi to call people and schedule them for massages. Mr Alessi said that he would tell his employer or Ms Maxwell when the person arrived and then send them up to Epstein’s bathroom.
Mr Alessi said that he also found a massage “arm” with a vibrating ball at the end in Epstein’s bathroom. He said that he spotted this “arm” three or four times by Epstein’s bathroom sink among several other locations like his couch in the bathroom, the massage table, and even by his bed.
Maxwell may know secrets Epstein took with him to grave, expert says
04:39 , Arpan Rai
The ongoing trial of Jeffrey Epstein’s aide and former partner Ghislaine Maxwell is crucial because it could help reveal the missing clues in what prosecutors have described as a massive abuse racket run by the late convicted sex offender.
A legal expert said that after Epstein died in jail awaiting trial, Ghislaine Maxwell — who is accused of aiding his criminal activities — could provide the next best level of insight into Epstein’s exploitation of minors.
Mark Osler, a law professor at the University of St Thomas, said: “[Epstein] died before going to trial and took a lot of his secrets with him, other than the ones Ms Maxwell may have,” reported Lex 18.
“And what makes this intriguing, is that the person at the centre of the drama isn’t there, but someone that’s right there much of the time, is,” Mr Osler, who is a former federal prosecutor, said.
The case of widespread exploitation among the rich and famous is also important because it shows a different narrative with a woman also allegedly in a key role.
“...Here we have a woman who is the alleged perpetrator and a woman who is an alleged predator and an accomplice to the male predator,” Michal Buchhandler-Raphael, an assistant professor of law at the Widener University Commonwealth Law School said.
Who are the key figures in Maxwell’s trial?
03:30 , Nathan Place
Who are the witnesses, lawyers, and judge in Ghislaine Maxwell’s trial?
Ms Maxwell has assembled a formidable and costly team of defence lawyers, the most visible of whom is the so-called “super lawyer” Bobbi Sternheim.
On the other side, Assistant US Attorney Maurene Comey is one of the lead prosecutors in the case against Ms Maxwell, and had been due to try Epstein prior to his death in 2019.
Judge Alison Nathan, a former special assistant to Barack Obama, was appointed a judge in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York in 2011.
Read more here:
Who are the key courtroom figures in the Ghislaine Maxwell trial?
How Epstein spent final days in prison
02:30 , Nathan Place
Jeffrey Epstein spent his last days in prison telling jail officials that he was not suicidal, reveal prison documents.
More than 2,000 pages of Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) documents accessed by The New York Times showed that the former financier used his last days to complain about a running toilet, wearing an orange suit like a “bad guy” and denying that he was thinking of killing himself.
Epstein died by suicide on 10 August 2019.
Read more here:
Trove of documents reveal how Jeffrey Epstein spent final days in prison
Where was Epstein’s island, and what went on there?
01:30 , Nathan Place
The guests came from across the world, and from the highest ranks of society: celebrities and scientists and members of royal families, touching down in a private jet and then boarding a helicopter to the island. Its owner liked to call it “Little St Jeff”; locals called it “paedophile island”.
But what is the truth about Little St James, the 75-acre private paradise in the US Virgin Islands that billionaire sex abuser Jeffrey Epstein once called home?
Read more here:
Where was Jeffrey Epstein’s island and what exactly was it?
What was Jeffrey Epstein’s ‘Lolita Express’?
00:30 , Nathan Place
The first witness at Ghislaine Maxwell’s trial was Lawrence Paul Visoski Jr, Jeffrey Epstein’s chief pilot for more than 25 years.
One of the pilot’s duties was to fly the Boeing 727 that became known among the press as the “Lolita Express” for its role in ferrying young women between New York and Epstein’s primary residence in Palm Beach, Florida, where many of his alleged acts of sexual abuse are said to have taken place.
Epstein’s victims have since claimed that the Boeing had padded floors and a large bed installed so that his guests could have sex with the girls he had lured aboard mid-flight.
Read more here:
What was Jeffrey Epstein’s ‘Lolita Express’?
Maxwell told staff never to look Epstein in the eye, housekeeper says
Thursday 2 December 2021 23:30 , Nathan Place
A former housekeeper to Jeffrey Epstein has said that Ghislaine Maxwell told him never to look the disgraced financier in the eyes.
Juan Patricio Alessi, who worked at Epstein’s house in Palm Beach, Florida, testified before a New York jury on Thursday that Ms Maxwell was the “lady of the house” and gave him “many, many instructions”.
He said that Ms Maxwell, 59, told him to “only speak to Mr Epstein when he asked questions” and demanded “extensive preparations” whenever Epstein visited.
Read more here:
‘Lady of house’ Ghislaine Maxwell told staff not to meet Epstein’s eyes, court hears
Ghislaine Maxwell trial: Everything we know so far
Thursday 2 December 2021 22:37 , Nathan Place
The Ghislaine Maxwell trial began with a sentence that attempted to distill a complex case that spans decades and jurisdictions, and pierces the normally secretive world of America’s ultra wealthy elite.
“I want to tell you about a young girl named Jane,” prosecutor Lara Pomerantz told the jury of five men and seven women.
The US federal government’s case against Ms Maxwell, 59, centres around her decades-long relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. It alleges she operated as his enabler in luring vulnerable teenage girls with promises of scholarships, attention and financial assistance for their families, and coerced them into becoming objects for his sexual gratification.
Here’s everything we know so far:
What we’ve learned so far from the Ghislaine Maxwell trial
Court adjourns for the day
Thursday 2 December 2021 21:53 , Oliver O'Connell
Ms Comey says she has no further questions, and so with only 13 minutes left of the day, the court adjourns.
Cross-examination of Mr Alessi will begin on Friday morning.
Alessi talks about why he left Epstein’s employment
Thursday 2 December 2021 21:51 , Oliver O'Connell
Ms Comey asked why he left Epstein’s employment and responds “I was sick and I was also very, very tired of the job.”
He says he signed a non-disclosure agreement about both Epstein and Ms Maxwell.
Mr Alessi also admitted that he stole $6,300 from Epstein at a time that his marriage was experiencing difficulties and he was struggling financially.
Ms Comey asks if he was questioned by police, which he says he was, but was not arrested.
He did not pay the money back and did not see Epstein again.
Alessi admits (on direct) that he stole money from Epstein's house at a time his marriage was on the rocks and he was financially struggling.
Q: About how much money did it take?
A: It was about $6,300.
He says he paid it back, and he never saw Epstein again.— Adam Klasfeld (@KlasfeldReports) December 2, 2021
Thursday 2 December 2021 21:47 , Oliver O'Connell
Mr Alessi was asked about photographs in the house and initially responded about pictures of Ms Maxwell and Epstein with famous people.
Asked if there were photos of naked women, he said that there were and they were kept in Ms Maxwell’s desk.
Alessi testifies about cleaning up after the massages
Thursday 2 December 2021 21:39 , Oliver O'Connell
Ms Comey asks Mr Allessi if Ms Maxwell provided supplies for Epstein’s massages. He replies that he was given “exotic oils” from other countries.
Asked if Epstein’s door was open during his massages, Mr Alessi responds that it never was, and says that afterward, he would go in wearing gloves to clean up.
Alessi describes cleaning up after Epstein's massages.
"I remember finding a large dildo."
Q: What did it look like?
A: It looked like a huge man's penis, with two heads.— Adam Klasfeld (@KlasfeldReports) December 2, 2021
Pressed further about what he saw when he cleaned up, he says that after one massage he found a “large dildo” that he washed up and put in a basket in Ms Maxwell’s bathroom alongside some pornographic tapes.
AUSA: Where did you put the dildo?
Alessi: In Ms. Maxwell's bathroom. In a basket.
AUSA: How did you know where to put it?
Alessi: I knew everything going on in the house.
AUSA: What else was in the basket?
Alessi: I saw pornographic tapes.— Inner City Press (@innercitypress) December 2, 2021
He adds that he saw it at least five times, and that there was another one that he put at the top of Epstein’s dresser.
Thursday 2 December 2021 21:30 , Oliver O'Connell
Adam Klasfeld of Law & Crime reports that before the trial the Maxwell defence team challenged the admission of the exhibit, claiming it had been altered.
Before trial, Maxwell's defense team challenged the admission of this exhibit (government exhibit 52), alleging it was "clearly altered."
h/t @TVolscho
Read that defense letter here:https://t.co/5C84kL72bX— Adam Klasfeld (@KlasfeldReports) December 2, 2021
Thursday 2 December 2021 21:24 , Oliver O'Connell
After an attempt by Ms Maxwell’s lawyer at challenging the admission into evidence of the telephone directory, questioning continues with Mr Alessi confirming to Ms Comey that he would sometimes take messages for Epstein if he did not want to talk to someone or was not at the house.
‘Lady of house’ Ghislaine Maxwell told staff never to look at Jeffrey Epstein’s eyes
Thursday 2 December 2021 21:01 , Oliver O'Connell
A former housekeeper to Jeffrey Epstein has said that Ghislaine Maxwell told him never to look the disgraced financier in the eyes.
Juan Patricio Alessi, who worked at Epstein’s house in Palm Beach, Florida, testified before a New York jury on Thursday that Ms Maxwell was the “lady of the house” and gave him “many, many instructions”.
He said that Ms Maxwell, 59, told him to “only speak to Mr Epstein when he asked questions” and demanded “extensive preparations” whenever Epstein visited.
Io Dodds reports.
‘Lady of house’ Ghislaine Maxwell told staff not to meet Epstein’s eyes, court hears
Alessi testimony continues
Thursday 2 December 2021 20:57 , Oliver O'Connell
Ms Comey has resumed her questioning of Mr Alessi following the afternoon recess.
Epstein’s former housekeeper confirms that the directory was updated twice a year and the names of new employees were added and those who had left were removed.
Thursday 2 December 2021 20:14 , Oliver O'Connell
Ms Comey has Mr Alessi look at the directory and asks if he reviewed it last night. He confirms he did and that he looked at every page.
Asked how many names there are, he says: “Many. Many.”
He says it is a later version from when he was employed at the house.
The court is now in recess.
Thursday 2 December 2021 20:09 , Oliver O'Connell
Mr Alessi says that Epstein received up to three massages a day — in the morning, in the afternoon, and after dinner, adding “after the movies”.
He also testifies that the previously mentioned phone directories had names for massages listed in them and “Jane” was listed.
He adds that the books were updated twice a year and the old ones were thrown away.
Thursday 2 December 2021 20:04 , Oliver O'Connell
The former housekeeper recalls the day he met Virginia Roberts, saying that Ms Maxwell asked him to stop the car and went to speak with her. Ms Maxwell instructed him to pick up Ms Roberts on other occasions.
Alessi: It was a hot day. Ms. Maxwell said, Stop, John, Stop. I did and Ms Maxwell went up to this girl.
AUSA: Where was this girl?
Alessi: She was coming down the ramp.
AUSA: How did she look?
Alessi: Young.— Inner City Press (@innercitypress) December 2, 2021
He also says that he saw Ms Roberts at Epstein’s house with luggage and drove them to the plane.
Thursday 2 December 2021 19:57 , Oliver O'Connell
Mr Alessi recalls driving “Jane”, saying he would pick her up at the direction of Epstein. He also says that Ms Maxwell, Epstein, and “Jane” went to the movies together.
Asked when he met Virginia Roberts, he says it was at Mar-a-Lago, Donald Trump’s Palm Beach residence.
AUSA: How would Jane get to the house?
Juan Alessi: I would pick her up, and the direction of Mr. Epstein or Ms. Maxwell.
AUSA: When did you meet Ms Virginia Roberts?
Alessi: I was at Mar-A-Lago with Ms. Maxwell. I waited in the car like the driver— Inner City Press (@innercitypress) December 2, 2021
He describes her as looking young with blonde hair and a long white uniform like that of a nurse.
Alessi on Virginia Roberts: "She looked young. She had blonde hair, and she had a long white uniform, like the nurses."
— Adam Klasfeld (@KlasfeldReports) December 2, 2021
Alessi identifies ‘Jane’
Thursday 2 December 2021 19:52 , Oliver O'Connell
Mr Alessi says that two girls at the house appeared to be underage. He identifies Virginia Roberts and the witness known as “Jane” who testified on Tuesday and Wednesday.
He describes her as strikingly beautiful with blue eyes, long brunette hair, tall, and “very pleasant”, and says she appeared to be 14 or 15.
Mr Alessi says she was at the house three times with her mother, then without her mother many times.
AUSA: When you met Jane how old was she?
Juan Alessi: Appeared 14 or 15. She was beautiful, beautiful eyes, long brunette hair, very pleasant. Three times she was there with her mother. Then, without her mother. Many times.— Inner City Press (@innercitypress) December 2, 2021
Personal telephone directories
Thursday 2 December 2021 19:47 , Oliver O'Connell
Ms Comey asks about a reference to JE and GM telephone directories, which Mr Alessi says are two-inch-thick books with hundreds of names, directions, and addresses.
Mr Alessi was instructed to place Ms MAxwell’s book to the right of the phone on her desk and keep stocked two sizes of notepads — one Ghislaine Maxwell and one Lady Ghislaine (the name of Robert Maxwell’s yacht).
Comey takes Alessi through checklist
Thursday 2 December 2021 19:42 , Oliver O'Connell
Ms Comey points to some of the instructions in the booklet, asking Mr Alessi to read them out.
They include: “See nothing. Say Nothing”, “Do not discuss your personal problems with guests”, and “Respect their privacy.”
Asked what he understood that meant, Mr Alessi replied: “I was supposed to be blind, deaf ... to say nothing.”
Another bullet point stated that he should never disclose the whereabouts or activities of Ms Maxwell or Epstein.
"Never disclose" Mr. Epstein or Ms. Maxwell's "whereabouts or activities," another bullet point said, according to Alessi.
— Adam Klasfeld (@KlasfeldReports) December 2, 2021
He was also instructed to check the perimeter fence for holes in which Max, Ms Maxwell’s Yorkie could get out.
Adam Klasfeld of Law & Crime notes that “Jane” referred to Ms Maxwell as walking a Yorkie in her testimony.
Maxwell lawyer questions Alessi about booklet
Thursday 2 December 2021 19:36 , Oliver O'Connell
Ms Maxwell’s lawyer Jeffrey Pagliuca begins questioning Mr Alessi about the booklet, first confirming that he left Epstein’s employment in 2002.
He notes that the book of instructions submitted as evidence dates from after Mr Alessi left, but the prosecution counters that he identified pages in the book.
Judge Nathan allows it to be admitted as evidence.
Alessi: ‘Degrading’ list of tasks to perform
Thursday 2 December 2021 19:19 , Oliver O'Connell
Mr Alessi says he was given a lengthy checklist of tasks to perform to maintain the house in a 58-page booklet.
He told Ms Maxwell that he could not complete all of the tasks along with his other work, describing to the court how it was enough work for 10 men.
He described it as “very degrading”.
Thursday 2 December 2021 19:12 , Oliver O'Connell
Mr Alessi says he once flew on Epstein’s first plane, but not the Boeing or Gulfstream.
He also visited the private island, Little St James, while on a cruise to St Thomas with his wife, and once went to Ms Maxwell’s London townhouse on her invitation.
Alessi saw women by pool ‘hundreds of times’, the majority topless
Thursday 2 December 2021 19:03 , Oliver O'Connell
Assistant US Attorney Comey asked if Mr Alessi saw females by the pool at the house, to which he replied “hundreds of times” adding that they were topless 75 to 80 per cent of the time.
He said that most were in their 20s.
Asked if he saw "females" by the pool, he replied "hundreds of times."
Asked what percentage of the time they were topless, he said about 75% to 80% of the time.— Adam Klasfeld (@KlasfeldReports) December 2, 2021
Thursday 2 December 2021 18:59 , Oliver O'Connell
In the morning session, Mr Alessi said that the house had to be run “like a five-star hotel” and “the cars had to be immaculate”.
When asked to identify Ms Maxwell in the court he appeared to struggle for a moment given that she is wearing a face mask, but their eyes met, she nodded at him and he picked her out correctly as wearing a black sweater.
He earlier described her as a “pretty girl”, “tall” and “brunette” and said she was with Epstein 95 per cent of the time.
Housekeeper: Maxwell and Epstein shared a bedroom
Thursday 2 December 2021 18:55 , Oliver O'Connell
The former housekeeper Juan Alessi continues his testimony following the lunch break.
He is describing Epstein’s Palm Beach mansion in great detail and a blueprint of the house is visible on screens in the courtroom. Mr Alessi said he painted it pink for Epstein.
Referring to the second floor of the house he says that Ms Maxwell and Epstein shared a bedroom but had separate bathrooms.
AUSA: Where did Ms. Maxwell sleep in the Palm Beach house?
Maxwell's lawyer: Objection!
But it's allowed.
Alessi: She slept in Mr. Epstein's bedroom.— Inner City Press (@innercitypress) December 2, 2021
What we’ve learned so far from inside the courtroom
Thursday 2 December 2021 18:45 , Oliver O'Connell
The Independent’s Bevan Hurley reports from the courthouse in Lower Manhattan.
What we’ve learned so far from the Ghislaine Maxwell trial
Alessi describes how things changed with arrival of Maxwell
Thursday 2 December 2021 17:45 , Oliver O'Connell
Mr Alessi testified that after Ms Maxwell became involved with Epstein, things changed and were less cordial at the Palm Beach mansion. She told him that she was “the lady of the house”.
He says there was less conversation and he was instructed by Ms Maxwell not to look Epstein in the eyes
The former housekeeper worked 14-hour days and was called John by the pair.
One of his tasks was to put $100 bills in each of Epstein’s cars.
Epstein's longtime housekeeper, Juan Alessi, is testifying in the Maxwell trial now.
He says Maxwell called him "John" and told him she was "the lady of the house," referring to Epstein's Palm Beach mansion.
Alessi says he had to put $100 bills in each of Epstein's cars— Ben Feuerherd (@benfeuerherd) December 2, 2021
The court has now adjourned for lunch.
New witness: Juan Patricio Alessi
Thursday 2 December 2021 17:19 , Oliver O'Connell
The prosecution has called a new witness, Juan Patricio Alessi, originally of Quito, Ecuador, but a Florida resident since early 1984.
He worked for a wealthy family in Palm Beach as a maintenance contractor.
Mr Alessi then went to work for Epstein as a housekeeper, having met him while working on billionaire Les Wexner’s mother’s house, he says.
He had a room in the house at Palm Beach and brought in his wife to help out with the work, as well as other women.
Thursday 2 December 2021 17:14 , Oliver O'Connell
Ms Maxwell’s lawyer questioned Dr Rocchio about what constitutes grooming of a child, asking: “My grandfather liked to take me to the Bronx Zoo. Was that grooming?”
Maxwell's lawyer: My grandfather liked to take me to the Bronx Zoo. Was that grooming?
[Yes, he went there.]— Inner City Press (@innercitypress) December 2, 2021
Dr Rocchio is clear that grooming occurs in five stages: obtaining access to the victim; isolating them for abuse; engaging in deception to build trust/attachment; desensitising the victim to sexual talk/touch; process of control, to allow continuation of abuse and prevent disclosure.
Grooming occurs in 5 stages, says Rocchio:
- Obtaining access to the victim
- Isolating them for abuse
- Engaging in deception to build trust/attachment
- Desensitizing the victim to sexual talk/touch
- Process of control, to allow continuation of abuse and prevent disclosure— Molly Crane-Newman (@molcranenewman) December 2, 2021
Maxwell’s lawyers question Dr Rocchio
Thursday 2 December 2021 17:01 , Oliver O'Connell
In an objection studded round of questioning, Ms Maxwell’s lawyer quizzed Dr Rocchio regarding what might impair someone’s memory of an incident.
Maxwell's lawyer: Alcohol would harm recall too, yes?
AUSA: Objection.
Judge Nathan: Sustained.
Maxwell's lawyer: Are you familiar with confabulation?
AUSA: Objection!
Judge: Overruled.
Maxwell's lawyer: It's filling in the gaps.
AUSA: Objection.
Judge: Sustained.— Inner City Press (@innercitypress) December 2, 2021
Neither witness this morning mentioned Maxwell
Thursday 2 December 2021 16:49 , Oliver O'Connell
Neither of today’s prosecution witnesses has mentioned Ghislaine Maxwell.
Dr Rocchio is speaking in general terms about the definition of child sexual grooming — which victims have accused Ms Maxwell of, in addition to participating in the abuse — but has not talked specifically about this case.
Mr Kane’s testimony established that Epstein was financially responsible for the tuition of an unnamed student transferring to a New York private school. The jury is able to see the relevant documents and names, but they are not publicly available.
This builds a picture around the evidence of the other witnesses and victims, and it must be remembered that there are still at least three more accusers still to testify, and this trial is scheduled to run for six weeks.
