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Woman Testifies That Ghislane Maxwell Said Jeffrey Epstein Needed To Have Sex Three Times A Day

Woman Testifies That Ghislane Maxwell Said Jeffrey Epstein Needed To Have Sex Three Times A Day

New York (CNN) -- A woman who has accused Jeffrey Epstein of sexual assault testified Monday that Ghislaine Maxwell arranged their meetings and often talked about sexual topics, including Epstein's sexual needs.

"She said he needed to have sex about three times a day," the woman told the court.

The woman, who testifies under the pseudonym "Kate," took the stand Monday morning to begin the second week of Maxwell's federal trial on charges including child sex trafficking. Kate is not considered a minor victim on the charges because she was over the age of consent at the time of the alleged abuse, but Judge Alison Nathan ruled that jurors can consider her testimony.

Kate stated that she met Maxwell when she was 17 through her older boyfriend, during a trip to Paris. Maxwell invited her to tea at her London home a few weeks later and told Kate about her "philanthropist" boyfriend Epstein, which Maxwell thought would help Kate with her aspiring career. music of her

"I understood that his job was to take care of Jeffrey's needs," Kate said.

"I walked out of there feeling euphoric," she said. "Like someone wanted me."

Weeks later, Maxwell invited Kate to the townhouse again to meet Epstein, prodding her to accept the invitation with a sense of "urgency," she recalled.

There, Maxwell told her to give Epstein's foot a little "squeeze" to show him how strong he was despite his small frame, Kate said. Epstein approved of the foot massage and also asked her to give him a shoulder massage.

A couple of weeks later, Maxwell called Kate to ask if she would do her "a favor" and come over to give Epstein a massage with her "strong hands," despite having no experience in massage therapy. Maxwell led Kate upstairs in her house to a room where Epstein changed into a robe, gave Kate massage oil and closed the door behind her.

Kate testified that Epstein stripped naked and engaged in a sexual act with her. Shortly after this incident, Maxwell called her back to the house and told her it was difficult to meet her needs, Kate testified. "He told me, 'I'm so glad you're here. You did such a good job last time (that) he wanted you back,'" Kate said.

This time Epstein was completely naked when Maxwell led her into the same room and closed the door behind her. "Have a good time," she remembers Maxwell saying to her as they left the room. Maxwell also asked her if she had "fun" after both sexualized massage encounters, Kate said.

Woman testifies that Ghislane Maxwell said Jeffrey Epstein needed to have sex three times a day

The Maxwell trial, which began last week, has alternated between harrowing testimony from underage victims and illuminating testimony about some of Epstein's connections to high-profile figures including Donald Trump, Bill Clinton and Prince Andrew. None of them have allegedly committed wrongdoing in connection with the ongoing trial.

In fact, Kate testified Monday that Maxwell talked about his friends Prince Andrew and Trump around him.

Epstein, who pleaded guilty in 2008 to prostitution charges in the state, was indicted on federal sex trafficking charges in July 2019, but committed suicide in prison a month later. Maxwell, an Epstein confidante, was arrested a year later and pleaded not guilty.

In opening statements at their trial, prosecutors said Maxwell and Epstein created a "pyramid abuse scheme" to lure underage girls into sexual relations with Epstein. Her defense, meanwhile, said she was a "scapegoat" for Epstein's actions and attacked the memories and motivations of women who say they have been sexually abused.

Witness recalls photos of naked young women at Epstein's home

In her testimony, Kate testified that she took trips paid for by Epstein several times to New York; Palm Beach, Florida; and Little St. James in the US Virgin Islands, where Epstein owned property. Maxwell briefed him on travel arrangements, he said.

During a visit to the Palm Beach residence when she was about 18, she said, a "school girl" outfit was left on her bed: a pleated skirt, white underwear and stockings, and a shirt. When she asked Maxwell what he was for, she recalled, Maxwell told her, "I thought it would be fun if you brought Jeffrey his tea in this outfit."

"I didn't know how to say no," she said. She thought they might force her to leave if she said no, Kate declared.

She changed into her suit and brought tea on a tray to Epstein, who, she recalled, was working out with a trainer at the gym near the pool. Epstein initiated and performed a sexual act on her there when the coach left, she said.

Kate also recalled seeing nude photos of young girls scattered around the Palm Beach house in nearly every room. "I remember they were shocking," she recalled.

She testified that Maxwell invited her to Epstein's private island for massages.

Maxwell discussed sexual topics often with Kate, asking her if she knew of any other girls who could perform oral sex on Epstein.

"You know what he likes: pretty, young (and) pretty like you," Maxwell told her, according to her testimony.

He never recruited other women of any age to Epstein despite the request, he said. She does remember seeing a skinny blonde girl who thought she was around her age, 17, on one of those occasions.

In his second cross-examination, he testified that Maxwell was at his side the first time he saw Epstein naked.

"I remember it very clearly because I was terrified and frozen," Kate stated. "Those events come back to me all the time. I have nightmares about them."

Kate was awarded $3.25 million from Epstein's victim fund

Under cross-examination, defense attorney Bobbi Sternheim worked to undermine her testimony by highlighting her continued contact with Epstein and questioning his reasons.

Kate said she stayed in contact with Epstein until around 2012. She was around 24 when she last toured with Maxwell and Epstein, but she continued in contact with Epstein until she was in her 30s, she said.

In 2008, while Epstein was in jail, he emailed him to send photos of himself. She said she never sent him photos, but she did sign an email: "I love you always, 'Kate'." She also testified that she contacted Epstein about staying with him at his Manhattan home in 2011, but he was in Paris at the time.

She described staying in touch with him as a mixture of denial and fear.

"I didn't want to admit what had happened to me and I felt that by ceasing communication I would have to acknowledge the events that had occurred and I would have to say something," she said. "I was also afraid of disengaging because I had witnessed how connected the two of them were and I was afraid."

Sternheim also attempted to discredit the witness by pointing to media interviews in which she discussed her grand ambitions, asking about her past failed relationships and her history of substance abuse.

Kate acknowledged in court that she had problems with cocaine, alcohol and sleeping pills in her late teens and early 20s. She testified that the substance abuse has not affected her memory and that she was required to not take drugs or get drunk around Maxwell and Epstein.

Kate has been cooperating with law enforcement since she was first contacted in 2019, she said. Kate said she is testifying under a pseudonym despite having made public appearances in the media before because she has a son she doesn't want to draw attention to around the case.

"I have a great deal of humiliation and shame about the events that took place," he said.

Kate said she received a $3.25 million settlement from Epstein's victim compensation program. The money, she said, validated her experiences with Epstein.

"What the money meant to me was the recognition of my pain. What it meant to me was that my truth was important," he said.

Kate acknowledged that she asked the prosecution about a special visa for victims who cooperate with law enforcement, but said she was not financially or otherwise motivated to testify in this case.

"This is the hardest thing I've ever had to do and I'm here because I don't think there's anything more important, especially now that I'm a mother, than to show her that I can stand up for myself and show that the truth is important," she said.

Ghislaine Maxwell Jeffrey Epstein

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