Trial opens for alleged Epstein accomplice

The 12 jurors who made it through initial questioning are expected to hear opening statements in New York on Monday afternoon in the sex-trafficking case against Jeffrey Epstein’s longtime companion. Prosecutors accuse British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell of knowingly recruiting and grooming underage girls for the late financier to abuse. She has denied any wrongdoing and pleaded not guilty.

What is her connection to Epstein? Maxwell once dated Epstein, and prosecutors say she arranged for his victims’ travel to his homes. Epstein was arrested on sex trafficking charges in July 2019 after he was accused of sexually abusing dozens of underage girls. His suicide in federal prison in Manhattan a month later led to prison staff demotions and an inquiry. Authorities have held Maxwell in a Brooklyn jail and denied her bail multiple times since arresting her in July 2020.

Dig deeper: From the WORLD archives, read Esther Eaton’s firsthand account of one of Epstein’s court hearings.