BBC News
December 31, 2021
Gillian Maxwell has been found guilty of preparing teenage girls for prostitution and human trafficking and facilitating them. The girls were later sexually abused by American businessman Jeffrey Epstein, who was found dead in prison after being caught.
Maxwell, 60, was convicted of five of the six most serious charges, including human trafficking for the prostitution of teenagers.
The decision was made by a 12-member jury in New York after five days of deliberations.
This means that a British celebrity could spend the rest of his life in prison. He will be sentenced later, but no date has been set yet.
When the verdict against him was announced on Wednesday, Maxwell's facial expressions did not change and no emotional scenes were seen. He filled his glass of water and took a sip twice.
Shortly after the ruling, his legal team stated that they were already working on the appeal.
Teresa Helm, one of the accusers against Jeffrey Epstein, praised the women who testified during the trial.
"Justice has won today," he told the BBC. I am grateful to all the brave, fearless and just women who fought for this result.
Gillian Maxwell will never have the opportunity to take anything from anyone. She will no longer be able to live freely. "
What crimes can Maxwell be convicted of?
Maxwell could be convicted of the following offenses.
Human trafficking for adolescent prostitution carries a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison.
Transfer of a teenager with this intent will be subject to criminal sex, with a maximum sentence of 10 years imprisonment.
Conspiracy to transfer juvenile delinquents to a maximum of five years in prison.
Conspiracy to incite adolescents to engage in illicit sex with a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
Conspiracy to smuggle adolescents into prostitution, with a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Damien Williams welcomed the decision and praised the bravery of the victims. A unanimous jury found Glenn Maxwell guilty of facilitating and participating in the worst crime in history, the sexual exploitation of children," he said in a statement.
Who is Gillian Maxwell?
Gillian Maxwell was born in 1961 on Christmas day. Three days after his birth, his 15-year-old brother, Michael Maxwell, had an accident that left him in a coma for the remaining seven years of his life.
However, she was born into a well-to-do family and her father, Robert Maxwell, was a well-known publisher. However, in every way, Glenn Maxwell was emotionally neglected in the early years. His mother-daughter later admitted in her autobiography that Galen had received "very little attention" from her parents after Michael's accident.
According to Betty, one day in 1965, her three-year-old daughter, Gillian, stood in front of her and said, "Mom, I'm here too." According to Betty, Glenn also suffered from anorexia.
Her parents pampered their daughter to make up for the loss. However, he could not escape the wrath and punishment of his father that he used to inflict on each of his children. However, she soon became his favorite daughter.
Betty wrote in her autobiography that her favorite daughter soon "went bad, the only thing I can say about all my children."
Now that he has been convicted on various serious charges, the reasons for this can be traced back to his neglected childhood.
Glenn is a very difficult woman and it is very difficult to explain the reasons for her crimes. Although his life has been largely in the public eye, the details are still unclear.
But more details about him may emerge from his childhood and relationship with his father. Robert Maxwell's reputation as a businessman was that of a rude man. At home, he was known as a "tough father" who abused his children and physically abused them.
His autobiographer John Preston writes that Robert would ask all his children tough questions at the dinner table and ask them about their future, and if they did not get the answer they wanted, they would cry. Would force One of Robert's sons, Ian Prettson, says that "they would hit us with the belt, even the daughters."
Epstein, like Robert Maxwell, was a wealthy man, from a middle-class family in a Brooklyn area. Like Robert Maxwell, the last years of his life were humiliating and he apparently committed suicide.
Glenn's relationship with Epstein was mutually beneficial. She introduced them to her rich and powerful friends and in return they provided money for their luxurious lifestyle.
The two had a close relationship, and their lawyers argued that Maxwell "was not very wealthy when he met Epstein."
What happened during the trial?
Maxwell, who has long been Epstein's partner in child sexual abuse, has been in prison since last July.
Epstein committed suicide in 2019 during a human trafficking trial for prostitution.
Maxwell's circle of friends was vast, and he introduced Epstein to powerful figures such as Bill Clinton and Prince Andrew.
During the month-long trial, Maxwell's lawyers argued that he was being used as a scapegoat for Epstein's crimes, while both were described by government lawyers as "accomplices in crime" and "exploiters." They were part of a scheme that benefited Jeffrey Epstein.
Four women testified during the trial. All of the women said they had been sexually abused by Epstein before the age of 18 and that Maxwell had incited, facilitated and even participated in them.
Only one woman, Anne Farmer, revealed her name, and all the other women hid their identities.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Allison Moe said Glenn Maxwell made his own decisions. He committed these crimes together with Jeffrey Epstein. She was a middle-aged woman who knew what she was doing.
Maxwell is being held at the Metropolitan penal complex in Brooklyn. As she waited for her trial to begin, her brother instructed the BBC's these days software that she were given a concrete mattress in a six-by means of-9-foot cellular.
they may be underneath 24-hour surveillance, they've 10 cameras round them, one of which tracks their movements," he said. they're now not even allowed to enter the corner of their cell or come inside two toes in their mobile door. it really is the respectable component to do, and it must quit there. "
money greed or mental troubles?
It turned into the humiliating fate of a female who lived her entire life in luxurious. that is why it has come to be a challenge for authorities legal professionals to explain why they might commit such crimes.
lawyers say cash become one of the motives. Journalist John Sweeney has attempted to discover the info of this case in a podcast looking Glenn and is now writing a book on the concern. He says there's a deep mental side to this that can not be neglected.
You may not know what came about to Jeffrey Epstein until you find out about his dating along with his very own father," he says. The reality is, Glenn found out to thrill his father after which he needed to please any other monster. that is what he is carried out all his lifestyles. "
some other similarity between Robert Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein changed into that they both couldn't be completely convicted in their crimes and Glenn's legal professionals argued that they had been made scapegoats for Epstein's crimes. It isn't always uncommon for a female to be punished for her accomplice's sins. however, Pasternak disagrees. it'd now not be possible for Epstein to have get right of entry to to so many younger girls with out Glenn," he says.
After Epstein's death, Maxwell went into hiding. Newspapers saved speculating approximately his whereabouts. A photo of him out of doors a burger joint in l. a. appeared on the front pages of newspapers round the sector. however, in July 2020, he was arrested from his bungalow in the US nation of new Hampshire.
