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BRADFORD, NH – Ghislaine Maxwell, the purported madame who allegedly helped billionaire Jeffrey Epstein procure young girls for sex was arrested in the tiny town of Bradford Thursday morning.
Bradford police confirmed Maxwell’s arrest, but deferred comment to the FBI. Kristen Setera, with the FBI Boston Division, said agents arrested her at around 8:30 a.m.and she was taken into custody without incident.
FBI Assistant Director William Sweeney said during a press conference that the agency had been discretely keeping tabs on Maxwell for some time.
“We recently learned that she slithered away to a gorgeous property in New Hampshire, continuing to live a life of privilege while her victims suffered,” Sweeney said.
Maxwell was arrested on a federal warrant out of New York and is set to be arraigned in the United States District Court in Concord later Thursday afternoon. The hearing is likely to be conducted via video, according to court personnel.
The unsealed indictment against Maxwell accuses her of procuring girls as young as 14 for sex with Epstein. Maxwell allegedly befriended girls, spent time with them, and worked to normalize their sexual abuse, according to the indictments. Maxwell would undress around the girls, talk to them about sex, and even engage in the sexual abuse, the indictment states.
Audrey Strauss, acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, said Maxwell groomed numerous girls, encouraging them to allow Epstein to pay for their travel and even education. This created an indebtedness, Strauss said. While Maxwell acted as their friends, Strauss said, she was planning on handing them over for abuse by Epstein, or abusing them herself.
“She enticed girls and delivered them into a trap,” Strauss said.
Maxwell is also charged with perjury for allegedly lying under oath during the investigation into Epstein. Strauss said Maxwell denied she was part of the abuse when questioned.
“She lied because the truth, as alleged, was almost unspeakable,” Strauss said.
Epstein reportedly killed himself in his jail cell last year after he was arrested on charges of sex trafficking. He was convicted in Florida in 2008 on charges of using an underage girl as a prostitute and served a 13-month sentence.
Strauss said the government is seeking to have Maxwell detained, meaning held in prison pending trial. Strauss said she will speak to the Federal Bureau of Prisons about Maxwell’s safety behind bars.
Epstein and Maxwell had ties to the rich and powerful, with figures like former President Bill Clinton, Prince Andrew, and current President Donald Trump all circling Epstein and Maxwell’s orbit.
Maxwell, who was based in London, and other people not yet named in the court documents, brought girls to Epstien’s homes in New York, Florida, and New Mexico, according to the indictments.
Strauss said some of the abuse took place in Maxwell’s London home. When asked about Prince Andrew, Strauss declined to get into specifics. The British monarch has so far not cooperated with American investigators.
“We would welcome prince Andrew coming in to talk to us,” Strauss said. “We would welcome his statement.
You can read the 18-page indictment below: