'Hands Everywhere': Epstein Accuser Testifies Maxwell Was Present When Pedophile Sexually Abused Her

© REUTERS / JANE ROSENBERGGhislaine Maxwell, the Jeffrey Epstein associate accused of sex trafficking, stands before U.S. District Judge Alison J. Nathan with her defense team of Bobbi Sternheim and Christian Everdell during a pre-trial hearing ahead of jury selection, in a courtroom sketch in New York City, U.S., November 15, 2021
Ghislaine Maxwell, the Jeffrey Epstein associate accused of sex trafficking, stands before U.S. District Judge Alison J. Nathan with her defense team of Bobbi Sternheim and Christian Everdell during a pre-trial hearing ahead of jury selection, in a courtroom sketch in New York City, U.S., November 15, 2021 - Sputnik International, 1920, 01.12.2021
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Ghislaine Maxwell, convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein's alleged pimp, is on trial for six counts related to her purported involvement in the late tycoon’s abuse of underage girls. The British socialite has pleaded not guilty.
As the Ghislaine Maxwell trial entered day two on Tuesday, the first of four female accusers in the indictment against her testified that the British socialite was often present in the room when the witness, then just 14, had sexual interactions with the financier Jeffrey Epstein.
The accuser, appearing in the downtown Manhattan courtroom of US District Court Judge Alison J. Nathan under the name “Jane", alleged that Maxwell was not averse to participating in the “abuse”.
As the prosecutor Alison Moe asked “Jane” if she ever had sexual contact with Jeffrey Epstein, the witness answered in the affirmative, adding that it had happened “more than once". The witness was asked: “Was there ever anyone else in the room?” “Yes,” responded “Jane”.
© AP Photo / John MinchilloIn this Thursday, July 2, 2020, file photo, Audrey Strauss, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, gestures as she speaks during a news conference to announce charges against Ghislaine Maxwell for her alleged role in the sexual exploitation and abuse of multiple minor girls by Jeffrey Epstein, in New York
In this Thursday, July 2, 2020, file photo, Audrey Strauss, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, gestures as she speaks during a news conference to announce charges against Ghislaine Maxwell for her alleged role in the sexual exploitation and abuse of multiple minor girls by Jeffrey Epstein, in New York - Sputnik International, 1920, 01.12.2021
In this Thursday, July 2, 2020, file photo, Audrey Strauss, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, gestures as she speaks during a news conference to announce charges against Ghislaine Maxwell for her alleged role in the sexual exploitation and abuse of multiple minor girls by Jeffrey Epstein, in New York
The daughter of the late British press baron Robert Maxwell faces a six-count indictment for allegedly conspiring with and aiding Jeffrey Epstein in his sexual abuse of underage girls as young as 14 between 1994 and 2004. If convicted, Epstein’s alleged pimp or “madam” faces up to 80 years in prison. Maxwell has pleaded not guilty on all charges.
Ghislaine Maxwell listens as defense attorney Bobbi Sternheim gives her opening statement at the start of Maxwell's trial on charges of sex trafficking, in a courtroom sketch in New York City, U.S., November 29, 2021. - Sputnik International, 1920, 30.11.2021
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The accuser claimed she had met Maxwell in summer 1994, while attending Interlochen Center for the Arts - a youth arts camp in Michigan.

“We were eating ice cream… We were sitting around socialising, and we see this tall, thin woman approach us. She was walking a cute little Yorkie and the Yorkie came by us, and we asked if we could pet the dog,” “Jane” said.

She went on to narrate how a man who turned out to be Epstein later joined Maxwell, with both adults expressing an interest in her time at camp. “Jane”, who had recently lost her father to leukemia, and whose family was facing bankruptcy, was intrigued to hear of them offering “scholarships”.
The girl ended up giving Maxwell and Epstein her mother’s phone number and they soon called and invited her to tea at Epstein’s house. After that, “Jane” purportedly started spending time with Epstein every week or two, often in the presence of Maxwell. The accuser described how the two often organised “casual stuff”, such as shopping sprees and going to the movies.

‘There Were Hands Everywhere’

As she took the stand on the second day of the Maxwell trial, the accuser dubbed “Jane” recalled how odd incidents started to occur in her interaction with Epstein and Maxwell. “I remember, maybe the first time I went to the poolside, and I walked out there and there was at least four women and Ghislaine, all topless and some of them were naked… I was just shocked because I hadn’t seen that before.”
According to the woman, the first time Epstein had “abused her” was at his Palm Beach home. While urging her to focus on her coveted artistic career, he ostensibly told her that he “knew all the agents… all the photographers… and could 'make things happen'.“
"He took me in the pool house and, on the right hand side was this couch, futon-looking thing, and he just proceeded to pull me over. He sat in the corner and didn’t say a word,” Jane said. Epstein pulled his pants down. “He pulled me on top of himself, and proceeded to masturbate on me … I was frozen in fear. I’d never seen a penis before,” testified the accuser.
According to “Jane”, such sexual encounters continued over the next three years, when she was 14, 15, and 16, about every two weeks. Sometimes, she added, when Ghislaine Maxwell was in the room, she touched her breasts. “There were hands everywhere,” “Jane” said, describing the often group sexual encounters with Epstein, Maxwell, and others.
During cross-examination, defence lawyer Laura Menninger asked the witness why she waited over 20 years to report the alleged abuse by Maxwell to law enforcement. “I don’t know,” the accuser replied, adding she only remembered being “uncomfortable with going into all the details”.
The woman also testified that she was awarded $5 million from a fund set up to compensate victims of Epstein and received $2.9 million after lawyer expenses were deducted.
Lawrence Visoski (not seen), former longtime pilot for Jeffrey Epstein, testifies during Ghislaine Maxwell's trial on charges of sex trafficking, in a courtroom sketch in New York City, U.S., November 30, 2021.  - Sputnik International, 1920, 30.11.2021
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“Jane” was called to testify second, following the testimony from Lawrence Paul Visoski Jr, who had been Epstein's pilot for nearly 30 years, particularly on Boeing 727. The media had dubbed the notorious private jet the "Lolita Express".
Visoski, claimed he recalled "pretty important people" like Bill Clinton, Donald Trump, Prince Andrew and Kevin Spacey among the passengers at different times, yet never witnessed any sex acts with underage girls onboard.
He added that sometimes he saw young girls travelling with their families on Epstein's plane, but insisted there had not been any unaccompanied women looking younger than 20. Discussing Maxwell’s relationship with Epstein, he claimed she was “No 2” in Epstein’s hierarchy, with Epstein “No 1”.
© AP Photo / New York State Sex Offender RegistryFILE - This March 28, 2017, file photo, provided by the New York State Sex Offender Registry, shows Jeffrey Epstein. British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell was arrested by the FBI on Thursday, July 2, 2020, on charges she helped procure underage sex partners for the financier
FILE - This March 28, 2017, file photo, provided by the New York State Sex Offender Registry, shows Jeffrey Epstein. British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell was arrested by the FBI on Thursday, July 2, 2020, on charges she helped procure underage sex partners for the financier - Sputnik International, 1920, 01.12.2021
FILE - This March 28, 2017, file photo, provided by the New York State Sex Offender Registry, shows Jeffrey Epstein. British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell was arrested by the FBI on Thursday, July 2, 2020, on charges she helped procure underage sex partners for the financier
According to Visoski, the woman ran everything in the billionaire’s life, such as managing his properties, that didn’t relate to his business. When questioned by Maxwell’s defence team whether he had ever seen Epstein engage in sex acts, he said, “No.”
Four alleged victims of Epstein’s abuse are expected to testify in court in the coming days, with proceedings set to last about six weeks with a brief pause over Christmas. Some of the late financier’s staff will also reportedly testify, with the court presented with evidence from flight logs of his private plane and Fedex records of gifts sent to alleged victims.
Jeffrey Epstein, a New York financier and convicted sex offender, died in his cell at the Metropolitan correctional center in Manhattan on 10 August 2019, while awaiting trial on charges of trafficking teenage girls. He had pleaded not guilty. Ghislaine Maxwell, 59, was arrested in New Hampshire in July 2020 and has been behind bars in New York ever since, awaiting her trial on charges that she procured underage girls for the late tycoon to sex-traffic and abuse.
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