The abuse occurred at Epstein properties in Florida, New Mexico and New York and at times involved groups of people.
In the early days of Ghislaine Maxwell’s trial, a woman accused her of befriending her as a child only to participate in the sexual abuse that occurred afterward.
On an afternoon in 1994, a 14-year-old girl was eating ice cream with friends at a picnic table at a Michigan summer art camp when a “tall, skinny woman” with “a cute little yorkie” walked by.
The boys asked if they could touch the dog, but soon after they left, leaving the girl with the woman. Then a man joined them and asked the young woman about the camp and her other interests. He said he was a benefactor who donated to the camp and supported young talent. When the girl said she lived in Palm Beach, Florida, the man said, “What a coincidence, we live there too.” And he asked for her phone number.
Testifying Tuesday during the Ghislaine Maxwell sex trafficking trial, the 14-year-old Florida girl – now an adult woman who the court identified only as “Jane” – described to jury how a chance encounter with Maxwell, the yorkie’s wife, and Jeffrey Epstein led to years of sexual abuse.
Jane, the whistleblower
The abuse occurred at Epstein properties in Florida, New Mexico and New York and at times involved groups of people, he said. According to her, on some occasions, Maxwell also participated in sexual acts.
In her statement, Jane said that for years she did not tell anyone about the abuse and only confided it to her loved ones in 2002, after breaking contact with Epstein. The woman, who said she worked as an actress, did not tell authorities about her allegations until after Epstein’s death in 2019, in part because she said she was concerned about professional repercussions in Hollywood.
Jane was the first whistleblower to testify during the trial, describing how Maxwell and Epstein brought her into their lives and how what appeared to be a special relationship, a kind of mentoring, soon turned into sexual abuse.
This is how the last days of Jeffrey Epstein were, nothing made us presume depression or regret
Weeks after their initial meeting in Michigan, Jane said, she returned home from school – she was beginning the eighth grade – to learn that Epstein had called to invite her and her mother to tea at his residence. A chauffeur picked them up and took them to Epstein’s home.
It was the first of many visits she would make but her mother never accompanied her again. He said the house was impressive, like Epstein and Maxwell, although their behaviors could at times be confusing or overwhelming.
In describing those early days, Jane sometimes laughed at herself, made broad fuss, and spoke directly to the jury. But as she recounted the abuse – and later when Maxwell’s attorney tried to challenge her memories during the confrontation – Jane’s tone became more serious.
For several moments during Jane’s statement, Maxwell leaned forward in his chair at the defense table, put on a pair of glasses, and took notes.
“From the beginning there was a lot of boasting that they were basically everyone’s friends,” Jane said, adding that Maxwell and Epstein mentioned names to show off, recalling that they referred to characters like Donald Trump, Bill Clinton and Mike Wallece. The effect was to suggest that “they were very well connected and well off.”
As ‘weird’ older sister
Soon Jane started visiting Epstein’s house in Palm Beach every week or every fortnight and Maxwell used to be there. At first, Maxwell was kind of an older sister, “weird” and “quirky,” Jane said, “but she was cute.” Jane said Maxwell took her to the movies to buy shirts and a cashmere sweater and to Victoria’s Secret for “basic” underwear, such as “white cotton panties.”
But soon after, Maxwell started talking to her about sex, Jane said. One day, he recounted, Maxwell was with a group of women who were in topless or naked around Epstein’s pool.
Ghislaine Maxwell on trial for sex crimes, two years after Jeffrey Epstein’s death
Another day, when she was still 14 years old, she was talking to Epstein in his office when he told her that he could introduce her to talent scouts and “get things done” in his favor. Then he “abruptly” ended the conversation, took her by the hand and said “follow me” as he led her to the pool house.
Then Epstein led her to an armchair and removed his pants. He pulled her toward him and “proceeded to masturbate,” he testified in a broken voice. After finishing, he said, he went to the bathroom to clean himself up and “acted like nothing had happened.”
“I was paralyzed with fear,” Jane said. She stated that she did not tell anyone about what happened at the pool house, adding: “I was terrified and I felt disgusted and ashamed.”
Shortly after that incident, Maxwell joined them in Epstein’s room; As the two adults touched each other, they led her to join them. On subsequent visits, she was taken to the massage room and Maxwell explained how Epstein liked to be massaged.
A prosecutor, Alison Moe, asked him about Maxwell’s behavior during these incidents.
“I’d say it seemed very casual, like it was very normal, like it wasn’t a big deal,” Jane said.
Jane’s often emotional testimony came on the second day of Maxwell’s trial in Manhattan United States District Court on charges that he helped Epstein recruit prepare (grooming) and finally sexually abusing minors up to 14 years of age.
Witnesses
Prosecutors have said Jane and three other whistleblowers, all now adults, will testify under pseudonyms or just part of their names.
The defense made it very clear that it plans to undermine Jane’s credibility in the confrontation by insinuating that she is acting and that she only decided to cooperate with the government and implicate Maxwell because she believed it would help her file a claim with the Epstein victim fund, which awarded him $ 5 million.
During Tuesday afternoon, one of Maxwell’s attorneys, Laura Menninger, began the questioning by pressuring Jane about the time it took to report her complaints and trying to show the gaps in her memory of her adolescence in Florida.
Before that, Moe, the prosecutor, asked Jane if she had ever publicly revealed her identity as a victim of Epstein and Maxwell.
No, said Jane, and she wasn’t interested.
“I always wanted to leave this behind. I moved on with my life, ”said Jane. “I work in the entertainment industry and the blaming of victims is still very much present today.” Speaking in public, he said, could also affect his career.
“I didn’t want to have anything to do with it,” he said. “I just wanted it to go away.” (I)
Lola Fadulu contributed reporting.
Benjamin Weiser is a reporter covering the federal courts in Manhattan. He has long covered criminal justice, both as an investigative reporter and as a journalist. Before joining the Times in 1997, he worked at The Washington Post. @BenWeiserNYT
Rebecca Davis O’Brien covers law enforcement and the courts in New York. She previously worked at The Wall Street Journal, where she was part of a team that won a 2019 Pulitzer in national reporting for investigating stories about secret payments made on behalf of Donald Trump to two women.
Paul is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment and general news. He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established herself as a respected voice in the industry.
