Accuser claims Ghislaine Maxwell participated in sexual encounters with Epstein

A woman who claimed she was sexually abused by the late financier Jeffrey Epstein at the age of 14 told jurors on Tuesday at Ghislaine Maxwell’s criminal trial that the British socialite facilitated and participated in some sexual encounters.

The woman, known by the pseudonym Jane, took the stand for the government on the second day of Maxwell’s sex abuse trial in a Manhattan federal court in the US.

During cross-examination, a lawyer for Maxwell questioned Jane, now in her early 40s, about why she did not report the alleged abuse until decades after it occurred.

Maxwell, 59, faces sex trafficking and other charges. Prosecutors said she recruited and groomed Jane and three other underage girls for Epstein to abuse between 1994 and 2004. Epstein killed himself in a Manhattan prison cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex abuse charges.

Maxwell has pleaded not guilty, and her lawyers have said she is being scapegoated because Epstein is no longer alive.

They said Jane and the other alleged victims, who are also expected to testify at the trial, have faulty memories and financial incentives to accuse Maxwell.

During three hours of explicit and emotional testimony, Jane said Maxwell and Epstein approached her and a group of friends when they were eating ice-cream at an arts summer camp in Michigan in 1994.

Jane, a singer, said her family was struggling financially after her father’s death the year before. She said Epstein and Maxwell told her they were benefactors of her camp and awarded many student scholarships.

They remained in touch after Jane returned home to Palm Beach, Florida, where Epstein also had a home, Jane testified. She said Maxwell sometimes took her to movies or spent time with her at Epstein’s pool. She said they talked about school and whether Jane had a boyfriend.

She testified that she said she did not, and that Maxwell told her: ‘Once you f**k them, you can always f**k them again because they are grandfathered in.’

“I giggled because I didn’t understand what grandfathered meant.”

Prosecutors said in a 2021 indictment against Maxwell that behaviour like buying girls gifts and discussing sexual topics amounted to “grooming” them for abuse.

While Jane spoke, Maxwell occasionally put on a pair of glasses, leaned forward and took notes which she passed to her attorneys.

‘I FELT ASHAMED’

Jane said she had a sexual encounter with Epstein in the pool room of his Palm Beach house while she was 14 years old.

“He pulled me on top of himself and proceeded to masturbate on me,” Jane said.

“I was terrified and felt gross and ashamed.”

On other occasions, also at age 14, Jane said Maxwell and Epstein would take her to a massage table in his Palm Beach house and demonstrate how Epstein liked to be massaged. The massages transitioned into sexual activity, and Maxwell sometimes touched her breasts, Jane said.

Jane described Maxwell’s demeanour as “very casual” during these interactions.

Maxwell’s lawyers have said Jane and other accusers received payouts from a fund set up by Epstein’s estate to compensate victims. The fund started in mid-2020 and ended its claims process in August of 2021 after giving more than $121m to about 138 people.

In his opening statement on Monday, Maxwell’s attorney Bobbi Sternheim said accusers could “enhance” their rewards by co-operating with prosecutors.

Sternheim called Jane a “very successful actress” who never accused Maxwell of wrongdoing before Epstein’s death.

“She is a pro at playing roles and as her scripts and characters change, so has the story you will hear,” Sternheim said.

During cross-examination, Jane confirmed she did not report the alleged incidents to law enforcement until 2019.

When Maxwell attorney Laura Menninger asked whether she told family members and close friends about Maxwell’s alleged role, Jane said: “I don't know.”

“I was very reluctant to give details. I didn't want to share it with them in the first place,” she said.

Jane said in testimony she had been employed as an actor for 22 years and was awarded $5m by the compensation fund. She is expected to return for further cross-examination on Wednesday. 

Reuters