Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell denied bail by judge

A US district judge on Monday denied bail to Ghislaine Maxwell, the British socialite accused of sex trafficking on behalf of Jeffrey Epstein, according to the Associated Press. Maxwell's legal team had sought a $28.5 million bail package.

U.S. District Judge Alison J. Nathan issued an order which denied the alleged sex trafficker bail, although a written opinion was not immediately issued in order to allow prosecutors and the defense time to seek redactions.

Ghislaine Maxwell is the daughter of the disgraced British publishing tycoon Robert Maxwell, who raised his daughter in a household of superfluous luxury. It is unclear when Ghislaine was introduced to Epstein, although she grew to develop a close relationship with the convicted sex abuser in the 1990s. Epstein generally described Maxwell as his "girlfriend," but she reportedly became heavily involved in Epstein's business activities as well.

Epstein was arrested on charges of sex trafficking in 2019. He was later found dead in his New York jail cell in what authorities assert was a suicide. The suspicious circumstances surrounding his death coupled with his intricate and potentially criminal associations with economic and political elites have led many to question the official story surrounding his death.

When Epstein was arrested, Maxwell became wanted by authorities for her involvement in Epstein's criminal behaviour. She has been accused of aiding and actively taking part in sex trafficking and sexual abuse by various accusers in incidents dating back to the 1990s.

"From at least in or about 1994, up to and including at least in or about 1997, Maxwell assisted, facilitated, and contributed to Jeffrey Epstein's abuse of minor girls by, among other things, helping Epstein to recruit, groom, and ultimately abuse victims known to Maxwell and Epstein to be under the age of 18," the indictment reads. "The victims were as young as 14 years old when they were groomed and abused by Maxwell and Epstein, both of whom knew that certain victims were in fact under the age of 18."

Maxwell has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Maxwell's attorneys offered a deal whereby Maxwell would post the entirety of her wealth, $22.5 million, for bail alongside $6 million in assets from friends and family members. She would have remained in her New York City residence under 24-hour surveillance with electronic monitoring.

Prosecutors argued that Maxwell's significant wealth, connections, and three citizenships put her at high risk for fleeing the country. Maxwell had managed to dodge authorities for months following the arrest of Jeffrey Epstein until authorities eventually found her at a 156-acre secluded property in Bradford, New Hampshire in July.

The judge ultimately agreed with the prosecution and found no conceivable bail option where there was not a risk of her fleeing the United States. "[No] conditions of release can reasonably assure the Defendant’s appearance at future proceedings," Nathan wrote.

"In reaching that conclusion, the Court considers the nature and circumstances of the offenses charged, the weight of the evidence against the Defendant, the history and characteristics of the Defendant, and the nature and seriousness of the danger that the Defendant’s release would pose," Nathan continued.