By Luc Cohen

NEW YORK (Reuters), Wednesday’s verdict in the case against Ghislaine Maxwell, a British socialite, was that she recruited and groomed four teens for Jeffrey Epstein. [nL1N2TE1OS]

These are the key moments of the trial.

Lara Pomerantz was the opening statement. She called Maxwell, her former boyfriend and employer, a predator. Pomerantz claimed Maxwell was looking for girls Epstein could have sex, and that she did so to keep a luxury lifestyle.

Pomerantz stated that they were “exploiting children.” They were trading children for sex.

Bobbi Sternheim (Maxwell defense lawyer) began her opening argument by citing the biblical story about Adam and Eve. This was to claim that Maxwell, just like other women in her time, is being blamed for someone else’s poor behavior. In 2019, Epstein committed suicide in Manhattan prison cell.

Sternheim explained that Epstein’s demise left an enormous gap in our pursuit for justice for many of the women. Sternheim said, “She is filling that gap and filling the empty chair.”

Jane, a woman who goes by Jane as her pseudonym testified to Epstein’s abuse of Jane in 1994 when Jane was only 14.

Jane testified to the fact that Maxwell participated in sexual encounters and was able to act as normal.

She stated, “It made my feel confused because it did not feel normal.” I’d never experienced anything similar or felt like this before.

Jane admitted that she didn’t initially disclose to the FBI all details about Maxwell’s involvement. Under further interrogation by the prosecutors, Jane stated that she wasn’t comfortable giving all details.

She said, “I was sitting down in a large room with strangers and sharing the most embarrassing, deepest secrets I had been carrying around my entire life.”

A green massage table was presented by the prosecution to the jury. It had been taken from Epstein’s Palm Beach, Florida estate in 2005. Three of the four defendants claimed they provided Epstein massages which led to sexual activity.

Pomerantz called Epstein’s use of the term “massage” a “ruse meant to persuade young women to touch Epstein.”

– The jury saw images from the trial showing Maxwell’s relationship with Epstein during the 1990s. Never-before-seen digital photos showed Maxwell kissing Epstein and rubbing his naked foot.

– Carolyn, a woman who is known only by her first name, stated that Maxwell touched Carolyn’s breasts once while Carolyn was nude. He also said she had a great body to offer Mr. Epstein.

Carolyn sobbed on the podium, “Money won’t ever fix what this woman has done me.”

Jeffrey Pagliuca (an attorney representing Maxwell) asked Carolyn why Maxwell wasn’t mentioned her in the initial conversations with law enforcement, but later implicated her in a claim for victim’s compensation funds run by Epstein. Maxwell was trying to make the accusers seem unreliable, so Maxwell asked this question.

“You should be aware that any false information submitted could land you in serious criminal trouble.” Pagliuca spoke of the fund.

Elizabeth Loftus (a well-known psychologist) testified in defense of the claim that individuals can recall events that never happened. This was part the defense’s attempt to claim that the accused’s memories had been altered over time.

Loftus stated, “When people have post-event intervention or suggestion, they get very confident about the wrong answers.”

Minutes prior to the defense’s case being settled, Maxwell rose and, with Sternheim’s arm wrapped around her lower back told U.S. District Court Alison Nathan she would not testify for her defense.

Maxwell declared, “Your honor. The government hasn’t proven the case beyond any reasonable doubt. Therefore, there is not need for me testify.”