Ghislaine Maxwell 'served up' girls for sex to Epstein: prosecutors

Ghislaine Maxwell set young girls up to be abused by "predator" Jeffrey Epstein, prosecutors said on Nov. 29, as the sex trafficking trial of the British jet-set socialite and heiress began in New York.

While the defense urged jurors not to "scapegoat" Maxwell for Epstein's crimes, government attorneys described her as the late financier's "lady of the house," who maintained "a culture of silence" over a years-long arrangement to sexually exploit girls under 18 years old.

Maxwell "made those girls feel seen. They made them feel special. But that was a cover," federal attorney Lara Pomerantz told the jury.

In fact, she "served them up to be sexually abused," the prosecutor said.

Two years after Epstein killed himself in jail before he went on trial for similar charges, Maxwell sat in the Manhattan courtroom facing six counts of enticing and transporting minors for sex.

Four women who allegedly suffered at the hands of the duo are key witnesses in the trial, which is taking place under intense media attention.

Masked and wearing a beige sweater and black slacks, the 59-year-old daughter of the late newspaper baron Robert Maxwell fidgeted during the final steps of jury selection, frequently passing notes with her legal team, before staring stoically as the government delivered its opening arguments.

She could spend the rest of her life in prison if convicted.

Maxwell, whose sister Isabel was seated in the courtroom's gallery, has pleaded not guilty to all six counts.

Her legal team is aiming to spear accusers' stories as "thin," and their memories as "unreliable."

In opening statements attorney Bobbi Sternheim argued their recollections have faded or been "corrupted" by forces including media...