Judge Denies Bail For Epstein Associate Ghislaine Maxwell After She Pleads Not Guilty

A federal judge on Tuesday denied bail for Ghislaine Maxwell, the British socialite accused of luring young girls so they can be sexually abused by American financier Jeffrey Epstein. U.S. District Judge Alison Nathan in Manhattan said during a hearing that Maxwell poses “a substantial risk of flight,” agreeing with prosecutors in the case.

Maxwell, 58, will remain in a Brooklyn jail pending trial, and has been charged with enticing girls as young as 14 years old to have sex with Epstein, along with perjury. She could face up to 35 years in prison and has plead not guilty.

During the hearing, two women testified against Maxwell, who had appeared by video from jail. One woman, Annie Farmer, said Maxwell is "a sexual predator who groomed and abused me and countless other children and young women."

Maxwell was arrested on July 2 at a remote property in New Hampshire. She was born to a wealthy family in France, and holds French, U.S. and U.K. citizenship.

Maxwell’s lawyers sought a bail package including a $5 million bond and home confinement with electronic monitoring but were denied. “No combination of conditions could reasonably assure her presence in court,” Judge Nathan said.

Maxwell was not just Epstein’s associate, but also his former girlfriend. Epstein, who had a reported net worth of $559 million, was charged in July 2019 with charges of sex trafficking and conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking. He was accused of sexually abusing dozens of girls and women at his properties in New York City and Florida.

In August 2019, Epstein was found dead in his New York jail cell, with his death ruled a suicide by hanging. Epstein, who in 2008 was convicted in Florida for sex crimes, had friendly relationships with figures such as Prince Andrew, President Donald Trump and former President Bill Clinton.