Ghislaine Maxwell pleaded not guilty to federal sex trafficking charges, which accused her of helping the late Billionaire financier Jeffrey Epstein recruit and sexually abuse girls.
According to Reuters, prosecutors have accused Maxwell of grooming and paying one girl who, from the age of 14, began giving Epstein nude massages and engaged in sexual acts with him from 2001 to 2004. That girl was then used to recruit other girls for Epstein’s erotic massages.
The charges against the 59-year-old had been included in an eight-count indictment unveiled on March 29, which was the first time Maxwell had faced a judge in person since her arrest last July.
Her trial is scheduled to start on July 12, provided a courtroom is available, but her lawyers are seeking a 120 or 180-day delay because of these newly announced charges, a request prosecutors oppose.
