Ghislaine Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein's longtime associate charged with luring young girls so the late financier could sexually abuse them, has pleaded not guilty in federal court in Manhattan, with a judge still to decide on whether to grant bail.
US District Judge Alison Nathan presided over the arraignment hearing for Ms Maxwell, who prosecutors have accused of helping Epstein recruit and eventually abuse girls from 1994 to 1997 and lying about her role in depositions in 2016. Prosecutors wanted Ghislaine Maxwell to remain in detention and opposed her bid for bail, calling her an "extreme" flight risk with no reason to stay in the United States.
Ms Maxwell, Epstein's former girlfriend, was arrested on 2 July in Bradford, New Hampshire, where authorities said she was hiding out at a 156-acre property she bought in December in an all-cash transaction with her identity shielded.Epstein was charged in July 2019 with sexually exploiting dozens of girls and women from 2002 to 2005 at his homes in Manhattan and Palm Beach, Florida.