Ghislaine Maxwell trial latest: BBC says Dershowitz interview minutes after guilty verdict ‘not suitable’

Now that’s she’s a convicted sex trafficker, Maxwell’s “little black book” of contacts is under FBI review, according to a report.

Maxwell was connected to some of the most high-profile people in the world and now prosecutors in the US have vowed to pursue all of those involved in the sexual-abuse ring centred on the disgraced socialite and the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

There are no allegations of wrongdoing against any of those listed in Maxwell’s contacts, but they are regarded as potential witnesses to the crimes she was convicted of on Wednesday, according to a report in The Mirror.

The Independent’s Oliver O’Connell reports:

With a guilty verdict handed down on five of the six sex trafficking charges against her, Maxwell now faces the possibility of spending the rest of her life in prison.

Even the most lenient sentencing looks bleak for Maxwell, so what are her options now? The Independent’s Oliver O’Connell explains:

In a new column for The Independent, Mary Dejevsky writes: “To her credit, Maxwell resisted any plea-bargaining before and during her trial – though whether this was on principle or because she was counting on acquittal must be an open question.

“But the prospect of multiple life-sentences could change her mind – which is why some powerful men who have hitherto escaped scrutiny in the United States may now be alarmed, as well as a certain member of the British royal family.”

As Judge Alison Nathan has yet to set a sentencing date for Ghislaine Maxwell, many are left wondering, what happens next in the Ghislaine Maxwell-Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking saga?

Following the reading of the guilty verdicts, Maxwell was escorted from court by the US marshalls and returned to Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Centre, where she has been held in isolation since July 2020.

Maxwell still faces two perjury charges that were separated from the other charges against her earlier in the trial. These counts relate to allegations that Maxwell lied under oath about her role in Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse of young girls during a deposition in a separate civil suit in 2016. If found guilty, these charges carry a maximum prison sentence of five years each, increasing Maxwell’s total possible prison sentence to 75 years if found guilty on both accounts.

Maxwell’s legal team have also said that they have already begun an appeals process. Following the reading of the verdict, Maxwell’s lawyer Bobbi Sternheim told reporters: We are confident that she will be vindicated”.

However, to successfully appeal Maxwell’s conviction, her lawyers will need to show that Judge Nathan violated federal rules of evidence or abused her discretion and that this error impacted the verdict.

For more in-depth coverage of BBC News’s interview with lawyer Alan Dershowitz, and their subsequent statement, read our story below.

The BBC has said that their interview with lawyer Alan Dershowitz, shortly after Ghislaine Maxwell was found guilty of sex trafficking, was “not suitable”.

Mr Dershowitz, 83, who previously acted as a lawyer for disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, appeared on BBC News overnight to share his reaction to the guilty verdict.

In the controversial interview, Mr Dershowitz, said that the verdict did “nothing to strengthen the case against Prince Andrew,” adding that it actually weakened Virginia Giuffre’s case against the royal, in which she alleges that she was trafficked by Epstein and forced to have sex with the prince when she was a minor.

It should be noted, that Mr Dershowitz was also been accused of sexual abuse by Ms Giuffre, now 38. This information was not made clear during the interview, and as such, the BBC Press Team have said they are investigating the matter.

Today, the BBC News Press Team released the following statement: “Last night’s interview with Alan Dershowitz after the Ghislaine Maxwell verdict did not meet the BBC’s editorial standards, as Mr Dershowitz was not a suitable person to interview as an impartial analyst, and we did not make the relevant background clear to our audience.

“We will look into how this happened”.

Sketches from within the courtroom show the moment the guilty verdicts were read by Judge Alison Nathan and Ghislaine Maxwell’s reaction.

Attorney Robert Glassman, who represented “Jane Doe” who testified as an anonymous witness against Ghislaine Maxwell, said that he was “pleased” with the conviction, and commended Jane and the other women who testified at the trial.

In a statement, released by his law firm Panish Shea Boyle Ravipudi LLP, he said: “We are pleased that the jury has found Ms Maxwell guilty of the heinous crimes she committed against our client, Jane, and the other brave women who had the courage to show up and testify at trial.

“The verdict screams loud and clear – if you make it easier for another to sexually abuse children, you, too, will be held accountable for your role in that abuse. You will be arrested, and you will go to prison.

“The verdict also confirms what we’ve known all along: Jeffrey Epstein did not act alone. If it was not for Ms Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein would never have been able to abuse these girls.”

Sigrid McCawley, a lawyer representing Ghislaine Maxwell and Jeffrey Esptein accusers Annie Farmer and Virginia Giuffre released a statement following Maxwell’s guilty verdict.

Ms McCawley said: “Today’s verdict is a towering victory, not just for the brave women who testified in this trial, but for the women around the world whose young and tender lives were diminished and damaged by the abhorrent actions of Ghislaine Maxwell.

“For too long their voices were ignored and discounted and their characters impugned and disgraced, but no more. I am in awe of their sacrifice, their courage and the strength they have shown in pursuit of justice.”

After being found guilty by a jury on five federal sex trafficking charges, questions remain about Ghislaine Maxwell’s punishment.

When will she be sentenced? And how much time will she serve behind bars?

If Maxwell is ordered to serve consecutive sentences for her crimes, the 60-year-old could easily spend the rest of her in prison. Sex trafficking of minors – her most serious charge – carries a maximum sentence of 40 years. Combined with the maximum sentence for each of her other charges, Maxwell could face a 65-year sentence.

US District Judge Alison Nathan is set to preside over her sentencing hearing, but has yet to set a date to do so.

Until she is sentenced, Maxwell will remain at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Centre where she has been held in isolation since July 2020.