Epstein had underage guests at Palm Beach estate, ex-employee says at Maxwell trial

NEW YORK, Dec 2 (Reuters) – The late financier Jeffrey Epstein had “many, many, many” feminine guests at his Palm Beach property, together with two who gave the impression to be underage, a former worker testified at British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell’s intercourse abuse trial on Thursday.

Juan Alessi, the Palm Beach home supervisor, took the stand for the prosecution on the fourth day of Maxwell’s trial in Manhattan federal courtroom. He stated he repeatedly drove two ladies who gave the impression to be 14 or 15 to Epstein’s Florida property.

One of the women, now a girl in her early 40s utilizing the pseudonym Jane in courtroom, testified earlier within the week about how Maxwell, a daughter of late media baron Robert Maxwell, groomed her for abuse by Epstein when she was 14.

Alessi, who managed Epstein’s Palm Beach property from 1991 to 2002, stated Jane gave the impression to be 14 or 15 when she first got here to the home together with her mom in 1994. After that, Alessi stated he would drive Jane alone to the house, the place she hung out with Maxwell and Epstein.

He stated he noticed Jane’s title in a listing of therapeutic massage therapists that he would name to schedule massages for Epstein, generally at Maxwell’s route. Jane testified that a lot of her sexual encounters with Epstein would begin as massages earlier than escalating.

Prosecutor Lara Pomerantz has stated massages have been a “ruse designed to get young girls to touch Epstein.”

“I had a Rolodex with all the massage therapists,” Alessi stated. “Whoever they told me to call, I would.”

He recalled that when he started working for Epstein the financier would get one therapeutic massage a day, however years later he would usually get three.

Prosecutors say Maxwell recruited and groomed underage ladies for Epstein to abuse between 1994 and 2004 and took part in a number of the sexual encounters.

Maxwell, 59, has pleaded not responsible to eight counts of intercourse trafficking and different expenses.

Lawyers for Maxwell say prosecutors are scapegoating her as a result of Epstein is now not alive.

Epstein killed himself at age 66 in a Manhattan jail cell in 2019 whereas awaiting trial on intercourse abuse expenses.

Earlier on Thursday, psychologist Lisa Rocchio testified as an knowledgeable witness about how underage victims of sexual abuse are usually “groomed” by perpetrators they know nicely, and that many don’t disclose abuse till they attain maturity.

KEEPING SECRETS

In eight hours of usually emotional, express testimony, Jane stated she had sexual encounters with Epstein between the ages of 14 and 16 in Palm Beach and at Epstein’s ranch in New Mexico. She stated Maxwell participated in most of the encounters.

Alessi described Jane as “strikingly beautiful.” He stated he as soon as drove Jane, who was carrying baggage, from the Palm Beach dwelling to an airport and watched her board a airplane with Epstein, Maxwell and Maxwell’s canine, a small Yorkie named Max.

Maxwell’s legal professionals have sought to focus on discrepancies between Jane’s testimony and her earlier interviews with legislation enforcement, when she didn’t focus on Maxwell’s position.

They contend that the recollections of Jane and three different accusers anticipated to testify towards Maxwell have been corrupted over time, and that they’ve monetary incentives to implicate her.

Alessi stated he noticed topless girls hanging out by the pool tons of of occasions. Jane additionally recalled seeing topless girls by the pool.

He stated most feminine guests have been of their twenties, however recalled two who gave the impression to be underage: Jane, and Virginia Roberts, now often called Virginia Giuffre.

Giuffre has stated she was a sufferer of Epstein’s intercourse trafficking and abuse from 2000 to 2002, beginning when she was 16.

Alessi recalled driving Maxwell to Mar-a-Lago – former U.S. President Donald Trump’s Florida property – to satisfy Giuffre, and that he generally drove her to Epstein’s dwelling.

Alessi stated he discovered intercourse toys in Epstein’s therapeutic massage room 4 or 5 occasions after Epstein acquired massages.

He recalled cleansing one of many toys, which he stated “looked like a huge men’s penis with two heads,” and put it in a basket in Maxwell’s rest room. “That’s the place where it was kept,” Alessi stated.

He additionally stated he was given a booklet of detailed directions, warning him to maintain Epstein’s and Maxwell’s actions or whereabouts secret.

“I was supposed to be blind, deaf and dumb,” Alessi stated.

Reporting by Karen Freifeld and Luc Cohen in New York; Editing by Noeleen Walder, Grant McCool, Alistair Bell and Sandra Maler