By Luc Cohen

NEW YORK, (Reuters) – Ghislaine Maxill’s criminal case entered its eighth day after three witnesses testified that they were teens when Ghislaine Maxwell set them up to sexual abuse by late financier Jeffrey Epstein.

Prosecutors will likely call another victim to testify, which could make their case close to the end of next week, two weeks sooner than originally planned.

There would be an opportunity for the defense to present their case. Due to the likelihood that Maxwell could be cross-examined, it’s not certain if she would testify.

Maxwell, aged 59, pleaded guilty to eight charges of sex traficking and related charges. She was accused of recruiting and grooming young girls to Epstein’s abuse in 1994-2004.

According to her lawyers, the memories of her accusers have been distorted over time and Maxwell is now being blamed for Epstein’s conduct.

While awaiting the outcome of his sex abuse case, the world-trotting investor took his own life in Manhattan prison cell.

Jane and Carolyn both testified that they first had sexual contact when they were 14 years old.

Maxwell is charged with sextrafficking because Carolyn was allegedly compensated for her interactions. The encounters started as massages, before they escalated.

After more than four hours, Carolyn recounted to Maxwell her difficult childhood. She told Maxwell that her grandmother was an alcoholic, and she had been molested at the age of 4 by her grandfather.

Maxwell was fond of her, and she said that she was nuding Epstein.

Carolyn stated, “What she did was wrong.”

Maxwell’s attorneys argued that Jane, Carolyn and Kate were incentivized to testify for Maxwell, as they had received settlements of seven figures from Epstein’s victims.

Kate was described in Maxwell’s 2021 indictment as a victim. But U.S. District Judge Alison Nathan decided that Epstein’s interactions with her were lawful because she was old enough for consent.