Dec. 23 (UPI) — Jurors in the sex trafficking trial of Ghislaine Maxwell concluded their third day of deliberations without reaching a verdict Wednesday.
The jury was dismissed at 4:30 p.m. after deliberating for about 16 hours over three days and will not return until Monday as the court takes a break for the holidays, CNN and the New York Post reported.
Maxwell, 59, has pleaded not guilty to six federal counts, including sex trafficking of a minor, enticing a minor to travel to engage in illegal sex acts, transporting a minor with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity and three related counts of conspiracy.
The charges stem from allegations by multiple women that she worked to procure underaged girls for sex with the late convicted sex offender and financier Jeffrey Epstein, her boyfriend and longtime associate.
On Tuesday, jurors asked the judge for transcripts from three of the accusers — Annie Farmer, Carolyn and Jane.
Judge Alison Nathan also denied a request for FBI notes from an interview with Carolyn in 2007, saying they were not in evidence and instructed jurors they were permitted to consider Farmer’s testimony for two of the conspiracy counts.
Farmer, Carolyn, Jane and a fourth accuser, Kate, each testified that they met Maxwell as teenagers and the British socialite brought them to Epstein’s mansions where she instructed them on how to give him sexualized massages, sometimes taking part in the sexual abuse herself.
Prosecutors described a “sophisticated predator” who was a key part of Epstein’s sex trafficking operation, while Maxwell’s defense sought to discredit the testimony of the women and said prosecutors sought to punish Maxwell for crimes committed by Epstein after he committed suicide while awaiting trial.
If convicted, Maxwell faces up to 70 years in prison.
