Ghislaine Maxwell sentenced to 20 years for helping Epstein

Ghislaine Maxwell, the jet-setting socialite who once consorted with royals, presidents and billionaires, was sentenced Tuesday to 20 years in prison for helping the financier Jeffrey Epstein sexually abuse underage girls.

The stiff sentence was a victory for a group of women who spent years fighting for justice after an earlier generation of prosecutors failed to pursue the predatory power couple.

Epstein, who killed himself in 2019 while awaiting trial, sexually abused children hundreds of times over more than a decade, exploiting vulnerable girls as young as 14. Prosecutors said he couldn't have done so without the help of Maxwell, his longtime companion.

Maxwell, wearing a blue prison uniform and a white mask to conform with coronavirus rules, looked to one side as the sentence was announced, but otherwise did not react. She wore leg shackles that could be heard rattling when she walked into the courtroom.

The sentence was shorter than the term sought by prosecutors, but Epstein's accusers still expressed relief.

"It's been an incredibly long road to justice for myself and for many other survivors," said Sarah Ransome, one of Epstein's accusers. "This is for the girls that didn't have their say, the ones that weren't here."

A jury in December convicted Maxwell, 60, of sex trafficking, transporting a minor to participate in illegal sex acts and two conspiracy charges.

Judge Alison J. Nathan noted as she imposed the prison term and a $750,000 fine that Maxwell never expressed remorse for her crimes. The judge said she wanted the sentence to send an "unmistakable message" that nobody was above the law.

Addressing the court earlier, Maxwell stood at a lectern and said she empathized with the survivors and...