A U.S. jury found British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell guilty of helping the late financier Jeffrey Epstein sexually abuse teenage girls. She was convicted on five of six counts.
Jurors deliberated for five full days before finding Maxwell guilty on five of the six counts she faced.
Maxwell, who is 60 years old, now faces decades in prison. The most serious count on which she was convicted was sex trafficking of a minor, which carries a maximum sentence of up to 40 years in jail.
As her sentence was read, Maxwell is reported to have shown no emotion in court. She poured herself a glass of water and took two sips before a lawyer gave her a brief embrace, as she was led out of the court
Lawyers for Maxwell say they already have plans to appeal the verdict and expect her to be exonerated.
‘Justice has been done,’ said US Attorney Damian Williams after the verdict was read.
Maxwell is still facing two separate charges of perjury, stemming from a deposition she gave in 2016 about one of Epstein’s accusers, Virginia Giuffre