Juror in Ghislaine Maxwell Trial Didn’t Tell Court He Was Victim of Sexual Abuse, Media Says

Maxwell groomed young girls and women for US financier Jeffrey Epstein, who sexually abused them. On 30 December, she was found guilty on five out of six counts. Her lawyers have insisted she is innocent and are now working on a bid for a retrial.

One of the jurors in Ghislaine Maxwell trial didn’t tell the court he was a victim of sexual abuse, The Telegraph reported, citing its sources. The man, who has used the name Scotty David in several interviews, told the media that he spoke about his childhood trauma with other jurors while they were deciding on the verdict in the case and that his story helped assuage doubts about the testimonies of the witnesses.

Mr David said he couldn’t remember whether he revealed information about his past when the jury was being selected as required by the rules in order to establish an atmosphere of impartiality. However, a source told The Telegraph that David had answered “no” to a question when he was filling in a questionnaire.

"He did not fill the questionnaire out correctly, then there were several questions that should have picked up same subject", the insider told the newspaper.

The said question read:

"Have you or a friend or family member ever been the victim of sexual harassment, sexual abuse, or sexual assault? (This includes actual or attempted sexual assault or other unwanted sexual advance, including by a stranger, acquaintance, supervisor, teacher, or family member)".

There were three answers: Yes (self), Yes (friend or relative), and No.

Scotty David has insisted that he "flew through" 50 questions and answered them "honestly". David stressed that the issue was never raised when the jurors were interviewed.

"We went in front of the judge and there were all the lawyers in the room and that's where they asked me some questions. They asked me what I do, what I like to do for fun and if I can be fair and impartial. It was literally like 30 seconds long and then I was out of the room", he told the Daily Mail.

'It’s an Absolute Disaster'

The revelations have increased Ghislaine Maxwell’s chances to receive a retrial. Her legal team has insisted she is innocent and vowed to appeal the verdict. Legal experts say David’s statement paves the way for two scenarios: an investigation into perjury or a mistrial due to the fact that a preconceived opinion may have swayed the jury.

It appears Scotty David is not the only person who may have misled the court. Another juror in the case, who spoke with The New York Times, said that during deliberations they also shared that they had experienced sexual abuse, which “appeared to help shape the jury’s discussions”.

Mr David corroborated the NYT’s story, saying that his own revelation led a second individual to open up about their trauma.

The revelations prompted US State Attorney for the Southern District of New York Damian Williams to call for an inquiry into the issue. Scotty David hired a lawyer after authorities advised him to get legal representation.

Neama Rahmani, the president of West Coast Trial Lawyers and a former federal prosecutor, said the revelations have dealt a big blow to the prosecution.

"[It is] absolutely the last thing you want when you get a guilty verdict. It's an absolute disaster", he said.

Ghislaine Maxwell is the daughter of British billionaire Robert Maxwell. In 2019, she was thrown into the media spotlight after her ex-boyfriend and life companion Jeffrey Epstein was arrested on charges of running a sex trafficking network of minors. Multiple women came forward with accusations against Epstein, detailing how he had sexually abused them.

They also said that Maxwell played an important role in Epstein's crime empire – she lured young women and girls into the hands of the late financier by promising them a well-paid job in the house of a millionaire. Some said she took part in the abuse herself.

She was arrested in July 2020 and indicted on charges of sex trafficking conspiracy, sex trafficking of a minor, as well as enticing a minor as young as 14 to engage in illegal sex acts. On 30 December 2021, the jury found her guilty on five out of six counts, including the most serious charge – sex trafficking of a minor. During the trial, her lawyers insisted that the prosecution was making her a scapegoat for Epstein’s crimes and its own failure to bring the financier to court.

Epstein, who rubbed shoulders with presidents, prime ministers, and royals, was found hanged in prison on 10 August 2019, a month after his arrest. The New York City Medical Examiner’s Office concluded that his death was a suicide. However, a forensic pathologist hired by his family suggested that evidence pointed to the financier potentially having been strangled.