Ghislaine Maxwell hit with new sex trafficking charges

Federal prosecutors on Monday unveiled two new charges in the criminal case against Ghislaine Maxwell, the British socialite and close confidant of Jeffrey Epstein, who is accused of helping Epstein recruit and sexually abuse girls.

The new charges from the Southern District of New York accuse Maxwell of one count of sex trafficking conspiracy and one count of sex trafficking of a minor.

With these new charges, Maxwell now faces an eight-count indictment. She was previously charged with four counts related to conspiracy to entice minors to travel and engage in illegal sex acts and two counts of perjury for allegedly lying to prosecutors.

The original indictment accused Maxwell of engaging in illegal acts between 1994 and 1997. Monday’s indictment, however, includes a fourth minor victim, who alleges illicit activity between 2001 and 2004.

According to the indictment the fourth victim, who was approximately 14 years old at the time, was recruited to “provide Epstein with sexualized massages” at his Palm Beach residence and was paid by Epstein or his associates, including Maxwell.

The indictment adds that Maxwell groomed the fourth victim “to engage in sexual acts with Epstein through multiple means,” even when she knew they were under the age of 18.

The Hill has reached out to Maxwell’s team for comment.

Maxwell has pleaded not guilty in the case, and her court trial is set to begin in July.

Earlier this month, Maxwell was denied bail for a third time, after prosecutors argued that she continued to pose an “extreme flight risk.”