Ghislaine Maxwell, the longtime associate of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, has lost her bid to overturn her conviction in the United States.
Maxwell had appealed her 2021 conviction on charges related to sex trafficking and the grooming and abuse of underage girls, arguing that there were legal errors during her trial and that her prosecution was unjust. However, the court rejected her arguments and upheld the original verdict, ruling that the trial was fair and that the evidence presented was sufficient to support the jury’s decision.
The ruling means that Maxwell’s 20-year prison sentence will remain in place. She is currently serving her term in a federal prison, having been found guilty of playing a central role in recruiting and trafficking young girls for Epstein over a period of several years.
Prosecutors had argued during the trial that Maxwell was not merely an associate but an active participant in Epstein’s scheme, helping to build trust with victims and facilitating the abuse. Maxwell has consistently denied wrongdoing, but the appeals court found no grounds to reverse the conviction.
The decision marks another significant legal defeat for Maxwell and closes one of the key avenues she had pursued in an attempt to overturn her sentence.
