Inside Ghislaine Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein's sick relationship - £23million cash to sex abuse

British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell is serving a 20-year sentence behind bars after being found guilty of helping billionaire paedophile boyfriend Jeffrey Epstein recruit and sexually abuse young girls

Ghislaine Maxwell was second in command of Jeffrey Epstein's sex-trafficking ring and had a romantic relationship with the dead paedophile, some witnesses claimed.

Documents from a 2015 civil lawsuit linked to the Epstein and Maxwell sex trafficking conspiracy have been released today and include allegations that Maxwell directed Virginia Giuffre to have sex with several high-profile men on the child sex offender's Caribbean bolthole, referred to as 'Paedophile Island'.

Billionaire paedophile Epstein, 66, took his own life in jail in 2019 as he awaited trial on sex trafficking charges. Maxwell, 62, is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence after she was convicted in December 2021 of recruiting and grooming underage girls for Epstein to abuse over the course of a decade.

Maxwell - known by victims and Epstein's employees as the 'lady of the house' - enticed young women for Epstein and his sick pals to abuse in the US Virgin Islands. Several witnesses testified that Maxwell was disgraced mogul Epstein's 'number two' and their relationship ran from the early 90s well into the 2000s.

Relationship timeline

Maxwell and Epstein reportedly started their romantic relationship after meeting at a New York soiree in the early 1990s. The socialite had reportedly just broken up with another mega-rich man, Italian businessman Count Gianfranco Cicogna Mozzoni - who ran a number of flashy hotels.

The pair remained close until Epstein was found dead after taking his own life in his prison cell in Brooklyn in 2019. Following his arrest for sex crimes in New Jersey in July of that same year, Maxwell jumped to his defence, calling him 'kind', 'generous' and a 'loving man'.

He had a "keen sense of humour and ready smile", she testified in an attempt to get the charges against him dropped. Shortly after Epstein's arrest, she went into hiding and only resurfaced when she was arrested on July 2, 2020. Prosecutors claim she procured young girls for her former boyfriend and took part in the abuse on several different occasions.

'Lady of the house'

During Maxwell's trial, prosecutors presented images showing her bearing her cleavage while massaging the paedo's foot during a flight. The image shows a level of affection between the pair which seems to elevate their relationship into a romantic rather than one of convenience.

The prosecution's first witness during the December trial, Epstein's private pilot Lawrence Visoki Jr, told jurors his opinion of their partnership, saying it was "more personal than business". But Visoski admitted that he never saw them holding hands or kissing, but that they gave off a 'couple-ish' vibe. He added that their close bond continued well into the 2000s.

These claims were echoed by David Rodgers - another pilot working for Epstein - who said they were involved in a romantic relationship when he flew the financier's planes in the early 90s. And in all business, personal and domestic dealings, Maxwell was 'number two' in Epstein's power pyramid.

She would procure him girls to have sex with, manage his real estate and schedule his business trips, Rodgers told jurors. Maxwell also acted as the second in command, ordering other employees and laying down the law. The former house manager of Epstein's Palm Beach home testified that on one occasion he was warned to avoid looking the paedo in the eye.

He also claimed he was given a handbook advising him to 'anticipate' Epstein and Maxwell's 'needs'. Juan Elessi said he understood Maxwell was Epstein's 'girlfriend' and 'the lady of the house'.

Driven by money

Some reports say Maxwell stuck close to Epstein - who was worth $577million when he died - in the early 1990s because she was broke. In a discussion with the judge, prosecutors said the disgraced socialite was not "particularly wealthy" when they were first introduced.

In open court, Prosecutor Lara Pomerantz added Maxwell procured the girls for Epstein as "a means to support her lifestyle". She added Epstein's perverse and uncontrollable lust for underage girls meant that if Maxwell could please him, she could "stay in the lifestyle to which she was accustomed".

The court heard from several insiders about how much Maxwell would be paid for fulfilling her part of the deal. One of Maxwell's victims said Epstein had bought her a house in London and in New York City. And bank statements showing cash transfers between the two showed Epstein had transferred more than $30million (£23m) to her between 1999 and 2007.

Taking part in abuse

Maxwell's defence tried to suggest she was not aware of Epstein's desires. Other reports following her arrest suggested she was so obsessed with him that she was happy to do whatever he wanted to please him. In her closing argument, Assistant U.S. Attorney Alison Moe said: "When you're with someone for 11 years, you know what they like. Epstein liked underage girls. He liked to touch underage girls. Maxwell knew it."

But according to witness testimonies, there were several occasions in which Maxwell involved herself in the abuse. One victim, Kate (a pseudonym), said: "She would talk a lot about the nature of... she would say boys, and boys and their willies, which was a euphemism for penis... how demanding Jeffrey was." Kate said Maxwell asked her to perform oral sex on Epstein because he needed constant gratification, preferably from "cute, young, pretty" girls.

They also claimed the convict took satisfaction when these young girls sexually gratified the monster. Recalling one encounter in court, Kate said: "She [Maxwell] said, 'I'm so glad you're here. You did such a good job last time, he wanted you to come back. Did you have fun? You're such a good girl. I'm so happy you were able to come."

Another victim who said she was employed to perform sexual massages on the financier when she was just 14, recalled Maxwell taking part in the abuse. She said: "I was getting fully nude, and she came in and felt my boobs and my hips and my buttocks and said... that I had a great body for Mr Epstein and his friends."

Another accuser, Jane, who was the first to testify, said Maxwell was present during several of the abusive encounters with Epstein. One occasion when there were "hands everywhere", Jane said Maxwell touched her breasts.