Tuesday 28 June 2022 11:03 PM Ghislaine Maxwell refused to look at her victims as they burst into tears while ... trends now
A shackled, somber Ghislaine Maxwell refused to meet the stares of her victims as she entered Manhattan federal court earlier in the day to learn her fate.
Maxwell, 60, entered the court wearing a light blue prison uniform with a long sleeved white t-shirt underneath it.
Her ankles were shackled together and she was wearing white sneakers.
Her sisters Isabel Maxwell and brother Kevin sat in the front row during the hearing and two rows behind them were her victims and their attorneys.
Maxwell refused to meet the gaze of her victims even when they were reading their victim impact statements.
In the case of Sarah Ransome she repeatedly looked over at her and burst into tears but Maxwell calmly sipped her coffee.
When Annie Farmer began crying while reading her statement, Maxwell refused to meet her gaze as well.
Judge Alison Nathan asked Maxwell to stand to read out the sentence and she showed no reaction as she was told she would serve 20 years in jail.
Maxwell was led out of the courtroom in the same ankle shackles she was brought in with.
Ghislaine Maxwell remained stone faced during her sentencing Tuesday as she wore a light blue prison uniform with a long sleeved white t-shirt underneath it
Maxwell refused to meet the gaze of her victims even when they were reading their victim impact statements. In the case of Sarah Ransome she repeatedly looked over at her and burst into tears but Maxwell calmly sipped her coffee
Maxwell was led out of the courtroom in the same ankle shackles she was brought in with
Judge Alison Nathan asked Maxwell to stand to read out the sentence and showed no reaction as she was told she would serve 20 years in jail
Judge Alison Nathan handed down the 240-month sentence followed by five years supervised release after calling Maxwell's crimes 'heinous and prefatory.' The judge imposed a fine of $750,000 and recommended she be sent to the Danbury, Connecticut, Federal Correctional Institution.
The sentencing marks the end of a decades-long fight for justice by victims of Maxwell and Epstein
The low-security federal prison was the inspiration for the fictional prison in the Netflix show 'Orange Is The New Black.'
'Ms. Maxwell worked with Epstein to select young victims who were vulnerable and played a pivotal role in facilitating sexual abuse,' Judge Nathan said, making it clear the case called for a 'very significant sentence' that sent an 'unmistakable message' that such crimes would be punished.
There is no parole for federal prison, so Maxwell is likely to serve the entire 20-year sentence, but could potentially be released a few years early for good behavior.
After the sentencing, Maxwell's attorney Bobbi Sternheim said outside the courthouse, 'Our client Ghislaine Maxwell has been vilified, pilloried and left little room for her to be treated fairly.
'Because even before she stropped forward into this courthouse, she was being tried and convicted in the court of public opinion.
'Ghislaine will appeal this case and we're confident she will prevail on appeal.'
Maxwell's brother, Kevin, briefly spoke following the sentencing and said they would be 'solidly' behind her during her appeal.
