The sentencing hearing for Ghislaine Maxwell has begun in New York, where a federal judge shared the sentencing guideline would put the British socialite behind bars for somewhere between 15 and 19 1/2 years.

The guidelines imposed by US District Judge Alison Nathan are about half the term sought by federal prosecutors. Meanwhile, attorneys for Maxwell asked leniency and argued for a five-year term.

The 60-year-old’s hair was cut short and she wore a blue long-sleeve jumpsuit with a long-sleeve shirt underneath during the sentencing. She also wore a mask, which she repeatedly lowered to take sips of water as the hearing got underway.

Maxwell was convicted in December on five charges related to helping the late financier Jeffrey Epstein abuse young girls between 1994 and 2004.

At the top of the hearing, the judge noted that she had memorandums from the defense and prosecutors, letters from Maxwell’s loved ones, a psychiatric evaluation of Maxwell and victim impact statements. The hearing was so long that Nathan called for a half-hour lunch break.

At least three of Maxwell’s siblings sat behind her in the courtroom.

Several of her accusers, including some who testified during her trial, addressed the judge with detailed retellings of the abuse they endured at the hands of Maxwell and Epstein.

Even as the five women spoke, Maxwell remained mostly unemotional, appearing to avoid looking over at the podium from which they gave their statements.

Annie Farmer became emotional recounting the abuse, telling the judge she hope she takes into account the ongoing suffering victims have endured as a result of Maxwell’s actions.

‘I ask you to bear in mind how Maxwell’s unwillingness to acknowledge her crimes, her lack of remorse, and her repeated lies about her victims created the need for many of us to engage in a long fight for justice that has felt like a black hole sucking in our precious time, energy, and well-being for much too long now,’ Farmer said.

A second victim, identified as ‘Kate’ also gave a statement, followed by a written statement on behalf of Virginia Giuffre that said Maxwell deserves ‘to be trapped in a cage forever, just like [she] trapped her victims.’

Victim Sarah Ransome took to the stand next, asking: ‘How can this five-star general of this enormous sex-trafficking conspiracy… continue to maintain her innocence?’

Following Ransome, victim Elizabeth Stein said that some of what happened during her time with Maxwell and Epstein was so traumatizing she is still unable to speak about it, decades later.

‘I don’t even have the vocabulary to describe them,’ she said. ‘In the most literal sense of the word Epstein and Maxwell terrified me.’

Following statements from the five victims, Maxwell’s attorney Bobbi Sternheim addressed the court on her behalf.

While Sternheim acknowledged their statements were ‘immensely powerful’ she also said that the government’s sentencing request was ‘out of proportion.’

‘Jeffrey Epstein would have faced the same sentence and he is clearly far more culpable than Ghislaine Maxwell,’ Sternheim said.

This is a breaking news story, check back for updates…

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