As opening statements began in the sex-trafficking trial of Ghislaine Maxwell, one of her accusers told reporters outside the Manhattan Federal Court that she ‘never thought’ the day would finally arrive.

Decked out in a matching red hat and sweater on a chilly day in New York City on Monday morning, Sarah Ransome walked into the courthouse for Maxwell’s highly-anticipated sex trafficking trial.

‘I never thought this day would come,’ Ransome said, according to the Daily Mail.

Maxwell is facing 80 years in prison if she is found guilty of sex trafficking underage girls for her former boyfriend and disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein to sexually abuse.

Ransome, who was born in South Africa to wealthy British parents, claimed she tried to escape Epstein’s ‘pedophile island’ through shark-invested waters after being raped three times in one day.

She also previously told the BBC that Epstein would have ‘full erotic sex’ on his private plane in front of everyone.

‘I thought I was the mad one because everyone else found it completely normal, it was like making a cup of tea,’ Ransome said in 2019.

Ransome will not be testifying in Maxwell’s trial.

The 59-year-old Maxwell is charged with recruiting and grooming four underage girls for her former boyfriend and billionaire pedophile, Jeffrey Epstein. Maxwell denies recruiting teenagers as young as 14 for Epstein to sexually abuse from 1994 to 2004.

She arrived in court Monday wearing a light colored long-sleeved top and matching white mask.

Maxwell’s charges include conspiracy to entice minors to travel to engage in illegal sex acts, enticement of a minor to travel to engage in illegal sex acts, conspiracy to transport minors with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, sex trafficking conspiracy, and sex trafficking of a minor.

Epstein died by suicide in a Manhattan jail cell before he could be tried on sex abuse charges.

Two years after Epstein’s death behind bars, a 12-person jury plus six alternates were picked to determine whether Maxwell acted as Epstein’s accomplice, or as a puppet, which is what her attorneys claim.

The jury was picked from a pool of 40 to 60 potential jurors who made it through initial questioning.

Maxwell, the daughter of late media mogul Robert Maxwell, has been held in a Brooklyn jail cell awaiting her trial.

Her lawyers and family have said she was Epstein’s pawn, now forced to pay ‘a blood price’ to satisfy public desire to see someone held accountable for his crimes.

Prosecutors, however, argue there’s evidence Maxwell knew the victims, all of whom were below the age of consent, and that she arranged travel for some between Epstein’s homes.

The British socialite has pleaded not guilty, and continues to deny any wrongdoing.

Maxwell’s trial is expected to last six weeks, stretching into mid-January.

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