US District Judge Alison J. Nathan of the Southern District of New York Friday upheld British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell’s conviction on sex trafficking charges. Nathan concluded that there was enough evidence to convict Maxwell of recruiting and grooming teenagers for Jeffrey Epstein.

A federal jury convicted Maxwell on 5 of 6 counts after a 13-day trial in December 2021, including enticing a minor to travel to engage in illegal sex acts, transporting a minor with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity and sex trafficking. Nathan ruled these convictions were “readily supported” by extensive witness testimony and documentary evidence.

However, Nathan ruled Maxwell can only be sentenced for 1 of the 3 conspiracy counts of the same crime because the conspiracies were all part of the same unlawful agreement with Epstein. Maxwell will now be sentenced for 3 of the original 5 convictions from December: conspiracy, transporting a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity and sex trafficking. Nathan wrote:

Because the Double Jeopardy Clause prohibits the Court from imposing multiple punishments for the same offense, the Court will enter judgment on Count Three alone among the conspiracy counts. This
legal conclusion in no way calls into question the factual findings made by the jury. Rather, it
underscores that the jury unanimously found—three times over—that the Defendant is guilty of
conspiring with Epstein to entice, transport, and traffic underage girls for sexual abuse.

Nathan denied Maxwell’s Rule 19 motion, a motion based on constructive amendment or variance and a motion based on pre-indictment delay.

Maxwell’s sentencing date is scheduled for June 28, 2022.