NEW YORK, Dec 30, 2021 (BSS/AFP) - British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell was
found guilty on Wednesday of recruiting and grooming young girls to be
sexually abused by the late American financier Jeffrey Epstein.

  Maxwell, who turned 60 on Christmas Day, was convicted by a 12-person jury
of five of the six counts she was facing, including the most serious charge
of sex trafficking a minor.

  She sat passively in the Manhattan courtroom, slowly removing her mask to
take sips of water, as Judge Alison Nathan read out the verdicts, reached
after five full days of deliberation by the jury.

  Afterwards, Maxwell attorney said her legal team was already working on an
appeal.

  "We firmly believe in Ghislaine's innocence. Obviously we are very
disappointed with the verdict," her lawyer Bobbi Sternheim told reporters
outside the courthouse.

  "We have already started working on the appeal and we are confident that
she will be vindicated," she said.

  The Oxford-educated daughter of the late British press baron Robert
Maxwell, who grew up in wealth and privilege as a friend to royalty, could
potentially spend the rest of her life behind bars.

  Sex trafficking of minors carries a maximum 40-year sentence. The lesser
charges have terms of five or 10 years. Maxwell was found not guilty of one
count -- enticement of a minor to travel to engage in illegal sex acts.

  Nathan offered her "sincere thanks" to the jury for their service, adding
that they served with "diligence."

  After the verdict was read, Nathan adjourned the proceedings and Maxwell
walked out of the courtroom into detention as she has done every day of the
month-long trial.

  No date was set for her sentencing.

  US Attorney Damian Williams welcomed the verdict.

  "A unanimous jury has found Ghislaine Maxwell guilty of one of the worst
crimes imaginable -- facilitating and participating in the sexual abuse of
children," Williams said in a statement.

  "The road to justice has been far too long. But, today, justice has been
done."

  The charges against Maxwell stemmed from 1994 to 2004.

  Two of Epstein's alleged victims said they were as young as 14 when Maxwell
allegedly began grooming them and arranging for them to give massages to
Epstein that ended in sexual activity.

  One, identified only as "Jane," detailed how Maxwell recruited her at
summer camp and made her feel "special."

  She said sexual encounters with Epstein became routine, with Maxwell
sometimes present.

  Another, going by "Carolyn," said she was usually paid $300 after sexual
encounters with Epstein, often by Maxwell herself.

  A third alleged victim was Annie Farmer, now 42, who said Maxwell fondled
her breasts when she was a teenager at the New Mexico ranch owned by Epstein.

  - 'Sophisticated predator' -

  Epstein, 66, killed himself in jail in 2019 while awaiting his own sex
crimes trial. Maxwell, his lover-turned-close friend, was arrested the
following year.

  Maxwell had pleaded not guilty to all counts. The prosecution portrayed her
as a "sophisticated predator who knew exactly what she was doing."

  Prosecutor Alison Moe said Maxwell was "the key" to Epstein's scheme of
enticing young girls to give him massages, during which he would sexually
abuse them.

  Moe cited bank records showing that Maxwell received $30 million from
Epstein between 1999 and 2007 as evidence that her participation was
motivated by money.

  "They were partners in crime," she said.

  Maxwell's defense team countered that there was a "lack of evidence" to
convict and questioned the accusers' ability to recollect quarter-century-old
events.

  The team also argued that Maxwell was being used as a "scapegoat" for
Epstein's crimes after he evaded justice.

  Maxwell declined to take the stand during the trial.

  Maxwell's siblings Kevin, Isabel and Christine were in the front row in the
Manhattan courtroom as the verdicts were read out.

  Pursued by reporters as they left, the family declined to comment, with
Kevin Maxwell saying they would issue a statement on the verdict later.

  Virginia Giuffre, who is not an accuser in the case but alleges Epstein
lent her out for sex with his wealthy and powerful associates, including
Britain's Prince Andrew -- after Maxwell introduced the royal to the
financier -- welcomed the verdict in a statement on Twitter.

  "My soul yearned for justice for years and today the jury gave me just
that. I will remember this day always," she said.

  "I hope that today is not the end but rather another step in justice being
served. Maxwell did not act alone. Others must be held accountable. I have
faith that they will be," she said.

  Prince Andrew has denied the accusation.