In the sex-trafficking prosecution of former socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, federal prosecutors released a flurry of new evidence on Monday, including video of a 2005 raid on Jeffrey Epstein's Florida estate, media reported from the court.
A slew of evidence was made public just as the government and Maxwell's defense counsel were preparing to present their closing arguments in the high-profile case.
The full hour-long video reportedly shows Palm Beach police officers with firearms drawn inside Epstein's home. Inside, they found a black-and-white portrait of Maxwell clutching what appeared to be a Yorkshire terrier dog inside a marble-walled room, as well as disturbing images of naked women on the wall. There's also a photo of what appears to be a topless Maxwell sunbathing, which was released previously during the trial.
According to the prosecution, in the Palm Beach mansion, Epstein sexually abused a total of 12 girls, and Maxwell, 59, is accused of grooming and enlisting four teenagers, two of whom were as young as 14 years old, to be sexually abused by the convicted pedophile.
Maxwell, Epstein's former lover turned executive assistant, was dubbed the "lady of the house" and was in charge of his affairs.
Several women have claimed that under the pretense of massages, Epstein sexually abused them within the house.
During the trial, Palm Beach Sgt. Michael Dawson reportedly testified that detectives raided the residence searching for massage tables, oils, and sex toys, as well as notebooks and correspondence.
And some of the photos published in the US media show boxes with sex toys, massage robes and accessories, as well as a table on which, allegedly, abuse of underage girls was committed.
However, the video first emerged in August 2019 as Epstein was found dead in his Manhattan jail cell where he awaited his trial. Some shots with well-known personalities in joint photographs with the pedophile spread all over the media at the time.
Back in 2005, the Palm Beach Police Department turned over its investigation against Epstein to the federal government. And then-US Attorney Alex Acosta signed off on a plea deal in 2008 that allowed Epstein to plead guilty to a single felony count of solicitation of one underage prostitute in exchange for 13 months in prison, which was widely panned afterward.
Shortly after the prosecution released new case material, the sides opened their closing statements before the jury must deliberate to deliver the verdict. US federal prosecutors bluntly told jurors that Maxwell was a "sophisticated predator" who assaulted young girls with her "partner," i.e. Epstein.
While Epstein has been convicted in absentia due to his death, Maxwell faces up to 70 years in jail if she is convicted of all six counts against her.