One was a model looking to get a foothold in British society. The third was a middle school dropout in crisis. The last one was an impressionable high-school student.
As teenagers, all were drawn to Jeffrey Epstein’s circle and are now key accusers in British socialite Ghislaine Maxiwell’s sex-abuse case.
In Manhattan’s federal court, the women gave a raunchy testimony about Maxwell’s alleged grooming of them to receive sexual massages from Epstein. Maxwell, according to the defense, is being forced to take the fall in favor of Epstein who committed suicide while awaiting his sex-abuse case in 2019.
Jane, Kate, and Carolyn were the first three witnesses. These first names are pseudonyms or first names to protect their privacy. Annie Farmer was the last witness, and she testified using her real name.
This is what they told the government during its two-weeks of testimony. The government ended Friday. Next week, the defense will begin its case.
JANE
Jane described a alleged pattern Maxwell used to deceive her that would be repeated by others. She claimed she was 14 years old when she met Maxwell at a camp for musicians where Epstein was a benefactor.
She cried when a prosecutor asked why she hadn’t shared all of her Epstein experiences in her initial interviews with law enforcement.
KATE
Kate, like the others, recalled Maxwell encouraging and praising her before Epstein sexually assaulted her in interactions that began in the early 1990s, when she was 17.
British woman claimed to have been intrigued by Maxwell’s daughter, a media mogul and wanted to be her friend. She also spoke out about her first encounter with Epstein naked, when Maxwell stood beside him and asked her to massage his back — and how she felt ashamed after it was over.
However, there was an interesting twist in her testimony. The judge ruled in favor defense arguments and she wasn’t allowed to testify about Epstein’s sexual contact details.
U.S. District Judge Alison Nathan placed this limit on her testimony as she was 17 years old when she first met Epstein at Maxwell’s London residence. This is the minimum age for consent in Britain. Same applies to Epstein’s Florida residence when she was 18.
Kate’s account of Maxwell’s interaction after Epstein’s sexual massage may still be a problem for the government.
Maxwell asked me if it was fun and she replied, “You’re such a good girl!”
CAROLYN
Carolyn’s key role was to testify about Maxwell’s alleged “pyramid of abuse”.
She was 14 years old, and lived in close proximity to Epstein’s Florida house in the 2000s. He was known to be offering massages for $100.
Carolyn accepted an invitation from an older classmate. She said she was honest about her age and that it didn’t stop Maxwell or Epstein from asking.
She said Epstein masturbated with her and fondled her “everytime” they were together. She also said that Epstein wanted her to bring “any friend that was my age or younger” with him.
She claimed she had found a friend to play with Epstein in a trio. It was over. “I was paid $600, and my friend was $300.” “Because she was mine.”
She would find out that she had reached her expiration age of 18 when Epstein asked her to bring younger women instead of hiring her for massages.
She said, “And that was when I realized I wasn’t too old.”
ANNIE FARMER
Farmer, now 42 years old, is a psychologist. She had previously told her story in public before Epstein’s civil lawsuit against Epstein. She said that Maxwell and Epstein led her to believe they could mentor her, but she was betrayed.
She walked the jury through the history of Epstein’s relationship with her when she was 16 and high school in 1996. She described being scared when Epstein held her hand in New York, when Maxwell touched her breasts during a massage at Epstein’s New Mexico ranch, and when Epstein suddenly crawled into her bed and placed his arms against her.
She felt helpless and made excuses to go to the toilet. She hid there thinking that she would “want to be there long enough to end this situation.”
Farmer was rebuffed by the defense who suggested she exaggerated her claims in a $1.5million claim. This was awarded by a compensation fund for Epstein victims. Maxwell “groped” Farmer and Epstein had rubbed her genitals against her.
Farmer was resolute. She resisted.
