Ghislaine Maxwell was a close confidante of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Image by Getty

By Irene Katz Connelly July 2, 2020

Ghislaine Maxwell, the former confidante of serial sex offender Jeffrey Eptstein, was arrested by the FBI on Thursday morning, NBC news reported.

Law enforcement apprehended Maxwell in Bedford, N.H. and charged her with conspiring with Epstein to sexually abuse minors. She is expected to appear in federal court on Thursday.

Epstein himself was arrested in July 2019, and in August of that year killed himself while awaiting trial. Amid intense public scrutiny, Maxwell seemed to disappear. Her whereabouts remained unknown for months before her arrest, and speculation about her possible location flourished online.

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Many, including alleged Epstein victim Virginia Guiffre, have accused Maxwell of recruiting grooming underage girls for the banker. Maxwell has denied these allegations.

Irene Katz Connelly is an editorial fellow at the Forward. You can contact her at connelly@forward.com.

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