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Ghislaine Maxwell 'never saw Jeffrey Epstein having sex with a minor', testimony transcripts reveal

Ghislaine Maxwell said under oath in a testimony in 2016 she never saw "inappropriate underage activities" by her ex-boyfriend Jeffrey Epstein, according to newly-released documents.

The British socialite also said: "I never observed Jeffrey having sex with a minor."

Her deposition from four years ago relating to allegations of Epstein's sexual abuse has now been made public.

Transcripts of statements by Maxwell over two days were released after a ruling by a US judge. In them, Maxwell repeatedly denied hiring anyone under the age of 18 for Epstein.

Maxwell, 58, was interviewed by lawyers as part of a civil lawsuit brought against her by one of Epstein's accusers, Virginia Roberts Giuffre, who sued Maxwell for defamation after she called her a liar. The lawsuit was eventually settled.

Ms Roberts Giuffre claimed she was trafficked by convicted sex offender Epstein and she said he kept her as a "sex slave" with Maxwell's assistance.

Watch: Attorney outlines charges against Epstein's ex-girlfriend after arrest

  • In her testimony, Maxwell said she "never instructed Virginia to have sex with anybody, ever".

  • Maxwell told lawyers: "I never ever at any single time at any point ever at all participated in anything with Virginia and Jeffrey. And for the record, she is an absolute total liar."

  • Maxwell denied training Ms Roberts Giuffre on how to recruit other girls to perform sexual massages, and she called Ms Roberts Giuffre's claims "absurd" and "one giant tissue of lies".

  • Maxwell was asked questions about her relationship with Epstein. She said: "I have never seen anybody have sexual intercourse with Jeffrey, ever," and later said: "I never saw any inappropriate underage activities with Jeffrey ever."

  • Maxwell told lawyers that her job with Epstein included hiring assistants, architects, decorators, cooks, cleaners, gardeners, pool people and pilots as part of the upkeep of six homes.

  • Maxwell also said: "... a very small part of my job was from time to time to find adult professional massage therapists for Jeffrey."

  • Maxwell said she was "not talking about any adult sexual things when I was with him [Epstein]".

  • Maxwell said she had never had non-consensual sex with anyone.

  • Maxwell was asked: "Have you ever given a massage to Mr Epstein with a female that was under the age of 18?" Maxwell replied: "No."

  • Maxwell also replied "no" when she was asked: "Have you ever observed Mr Epstein having a massage given by an individual, a female, who was under the age of 18?"

Ms Roberts Giuffre has claimed she was pressured into having sex with Prince Andrew in 2001 when she was 17.

The prince has strenuously denied he had "any form of sexual contact or relationship" with Ms Roberts Giuffre, adding "any claim to the contrary is false and without foundation".

Maxwell's lawyers had argued that the documents should remain sealed in part to protect her right to a fair trial on charges she helped Epstein traffic and sexually abuse teenage girls in the 1990s.

She has pleaded not guilty and has been in custody since her arrest in early July. She is due to go on trial next summer and if convicted, she could face up to 35 years in prison.

Maxwell's arrest came a year after 66-year-old Epstein was detained and charged with sex trafficking.

He killed himself in August 2019 at a federal jail in Manhattan where he was awaiting trial without bail.

Prince Andrew has said he has no recollection of meeting Ms Roberts Giuffre and that a photo appearing to show them together at Maxwell's house in London may have been doctored.

Watch: Will Prince Andrew be forced to testify?