Federal Prosecutors Say Ghislaine Maxwell Should Spend at Least 30 Years Behind Bars

Prosecutors say Ghislaine Maxwell, who’s set to be sentenced next week after last year’s conviction on sex trafficking of a minor and other charges, should spend at least 30 years behind bars.

In a move the Associated Press reports as marking a reflection of federal guidelines, prosecutors argued on Wednesday that Maxwell should be sentenced to between 30 and 55 years in prison. The recommendations were made to the judge who will oversee Maxwell’s sentencing on June 28.

As previously reported, Maxwell’s attempt at getting a new trial was rejected by a judge roughly three months after she was found guilty on five counts in connection with the years-long abuse of teen girls by Jeffrey Epstein, who was found dead in his jail cell in 2019 after being arrested on federal sex trafficking of minors charges.

“Maxwell was an adult who made her own choices,” prosecutors said in a sentencing memo on Wednesday, per Law & Crime. “She made the choice to sexually exploit numerous underage girls. She made the choice to conspire with Epstein for years, working as partners in crime and causing devastating harm to vulnerable victims. She should be held accountable for her disturbing role in an extensive child exploitation scheme.”

Per prosecutors, Maxwell’s actions “demand” the serving of “every day” of a guidelines-following prison sentence. Maxwell’s lawyers, meanwhile, had earlier this month pushed for a much lighter sentence by arguing that Epstein was the “principal abuser” who masterminded the crimes. Furthermore, the defense pointed to Maxwell’s initial meeting of Epstein as a “profound misfortune” in her life. But prosecutors aren’t buying it.

“She committed terrible crimes that caused irreparable harm to vulnerable children,” they said Wednesday.

Also mentioned in the memo, which can be read in full here, is a potential fine against Maxwell of $750,000.