The conviction of Ghislaine Maxwell for sex trafficking will prove a body blow to the Duke of York, lending significant weight to his accuser’s story and fueling fears that he will be considered “guilty by association” with the British socialite.
The jury’s verdict, following a three-week trial, could not have come at a worse time for Prince Andrew, 61, as he fights to get a sexual abuse lawsuit thrown out of court.
Virginia Roberts Giuffre has alleged that she was a victim of sex trafficking and was assaulted or raped by the Duke on three separate occasions in 2001 when she was 17, a claim that he denies.
The Maxwell verdict came as US judges ruled that a 2009 settlement agreement between Epstein and Ms Giuffre, which bears directly on her civil lawsuit against Prince Andrew, will be made public early next week.
Read more: yahoo
