Chicago Criminal Lawyer Blog
Ghislaine Maxwell, the former girlfriend of Jefferey Epstein, has been arrested on charges that she recruited underage women to perform sexual acts on Epstein at the couple’s West Palm Beach mansion. Maxwell was arrested by FBI agents in New Hampshire. Meanwhile, “Epstein didn’t kill himself” memes are still popular on the internet.
Epstein was taken into custody last year, where he apparently took his own life under suspicious circumstances in a federal detention center. Since then, speculation has been wild about how Epstein, who was reportedly on suicide watch, managed to get left alone long enough to hang himself. The security cameras that were supposed to be watching him were both either broken or turned off at the time.
The Case Against Ghislaine Maxwell
Epstein worked behind the shadows for decades, recruiting young women to perform sex acts. Throughout that period, Ghislaine Maxwell could be found by his side. Many of the young women who offered statements to the police about Epstein mentioned that Maxwell was not only aware of what Epstein was doing, she actively helped him do it. Many of the girls that Epstein sexually abused also helped Epstein harm young women. Thus far, none of Epstein’s former victims have faced charges stemming from this scheme.
Maxwell, on the other hand, is a different story. Since she was well past the age of consent when Epstein was actively molesting underage women, police will be unlikely to be so lenient. Maxwell is the closest individual involved in the Epstein crimes who is still alive. If victims are to get their day in court, it will be Maxwell’s fate on the line the day they do.
What Has Changed?
Going after Maxwell was always an option for the FBI. The question is: Why did they not arrest her the same time they arrested Epstein? Why wait until now to arrest Maxwell?
Unfortunately, this story is too early in its development stages to understand why the FBI did what they did. It is also unclear what specific charges Maxwell will face in her coming trial. It could be that the FBI finally believes that they have enough evidence against Maxwell to make their case. In this instance, Epstein was the ringleader, but Maxwell can still face sex trafficking charges even if she never touched one of the girls. If that is the case, then the FBI may have some new information that implicates Epstein in a greater plot to traffick girls to rich pedophiles. The FBI will need to establish Maxwell’s role in the sex trafficking scheme and clarify how she was culpable.
One of the biggest problems in convicting Epstein was the sheer amount of money he could throw at his defense and the fact that he was protected by people in high places. Many speculated that Epstein would use the girls he had for sex trafficking to perform sexual favors on powerful men to use as blackmail leverage when the time came for him to be prosecuted.
Talk to a Chicago Criminal Defense Attorney
If you have been accused of a sex crime, you will need a skilled criminal defense attorney to fight the charges and protect your reputation. Call David Freidberg today at (312) 560-7100 to learn more about how we can help.
