Ghislaine Maxwell sentenced to 20 years over sex trafficking

Ghislaine Maxwell has been sentenced to 20 years in a US prison for her role in recruiting and trafficking underage girls for Jeffrey Epstein.

Maxwell, 60, was convicted in December of recruiting and trafficking four teenage girls for sexual abuse by Epstein, her then boyfriend.

Judge Alison Nathan handed down the sentence on Tuesday after slamming the 'heinous and predatory' behavior that saw her prey on girls aged just 14 with Jeffrey Epstein.

'Today's sentence holds Ghislaine Maxwell accountable for perpetrating heinous crimes against children,' Manhattan US Attorney Damian Williams said in a statement.

'Maxwell is not being punished in place of Epstein nor as a proxy for Epstein. She is being punished for her role, ' says Judge Nathan.

Responding to the victims, Ghislaine Maxwell claimed Jeffrey Epstein 'fooled all of those in his orbit.' She said: 'I'm sorry for the pain that you have experienced.'