In Ghislaine Maxwell’s trial, Jeffrey Epstein’s former house manager gives a glimpse into life inside his estate

Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell had a strict rule for employees at his Palm Beach mansion: ‘See nothing, hear nothing, say nothing.’

The Palm Beach, Florida, estate of Jeffrey Epstein, where former staff have told court there was a strict code of silence. Picture: Getty

Disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein and British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell had a strict rule for employees at his Palm Beach, Fla., estate: “See nothing, hear nothing, say nothing.” That instruction, and many more, were included in a household manual for workers that federal prosecutors showed as an exhibit at Ms. Maxwell’s sex-trafficking trial on Thursday.

“It means a kind of warning that I was supposed to be blind, deaf … to say nothing,” Epstein’s former house manager Juan Alessi testified when asked about the rule in the manual.

Mr. Alessi’s testimony came on the fourth day of Ms. Maxwell’s trial. She faces six criminal counts at trial, including conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of minors, which has a maximum of 40 years in prison.

Prosecutors allege that Ms. Maxwell, 59 years old, recruited and groomed teenage girls whom Epstein sexually abused at his homes under the guise of massages. Ms Maxwell was Epstein’s one-time girlfriend and property manager who prosecutors say created a culture of silence among staff.

Ms Maxwell has pleaded not guilty and said she didn’t commit a crime. Her lawyers have argued she is a scapegoat for Epstein, who died in his jail cell while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges. The medical examiner ruled the death a suicide.

At Epstein’s Palm Beach estate, privacy was valued, and Ms. Maxwell ordered employees to not to make eye contact with him, according to Mr. Alessi, who worked for Epstein from 1990 to 2002. The home had photographs of Epstein with famous people, including Donald Trump and Fidel Castro, Mr. Alessi said. There were also pictures of topless females that were kept on Ms. Maxwell’s desk and appeared to be taken at the estate’s pool, according to Mr. Alessi.

Mr. Alessi said, as part of his job duties, he picked up guests at the airport and their homes, including a teenage girl he believed was underage. That teen, who is now an adult, testified at the trial earlier this week under the pseudonym Jane. She said that Ms. Maxwell groomed her for sex with Epstein starting at age 14.

A court sketch shows Juan Alessi, right, Epstein's former house manager, Judge Alison Nathan and Ghislaine Maxwell during her trial on charges of sex trafficking.

Epstein would get up to three massages a day, mostly from women, on a massage table in the bathroom of his master bedroom, Mr. Alessi said.

On occasion, Mr. Alessi said, Epstein or Ms. Maxwell would have him set up massages using a phone directory that had numbers of massage therapists. He also would clean up the room after the massages, Mr. Alessi. On occasion, he said, he found a dildo and vibrating massage devices.

Mr. Alessi said he stopped working for Epstein in 2002, but after his employment, during a time when he was having marital problems and needed money, he broke into the financier’s Palm Beach home and stole $6,300. Epstein later confronted him but allowed him to repay the money as a loan, Mr. Alessi said.

Earlier Thursday, a psychologist testified about grooming, a concept that prosecutors have portrayed as integral to Ms. Maxwell’s alleged role in paving the way for Epstein’s sexual abuse.

Grooming is a series of deceptive tactics and strategies that perpetrators use to prepare a child for sexual abuse, the psychologist, Lisa Rocchio, said.

Earlier this week, Jane told the jury that Ms. Maxwell befriended her by asking about school and if she had a boyfriend. Jane said Epstein and Ms. Maxwell bought her gifts including Victoria’s Secret underwear. The first time she went to Epstein’s pool, Ms. Maxwell and other women were topless, she testified. She said Ms. Maxwell also participated in some sexual abuse.

Ghislaine Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein.

Jane told the jury that she first spoke to law enforcement about the alleged abuse in 2019.

Dr. Rocchio identified herself as a clinical and forensic psychologist who specialises in interpersonal violence and traumatic stress. She said she hadn’t interviewed witnesses or studied the specific details of this case.

Dr. Rocchio told the jury that it is common for children to delay disclosing abuse. “We know they are less likely to tell, and more likely to have delay in telling, the closer the relationship with the perpetrator,” she said.

During cross examination, defence attorney Jeffrey Pagliuca questioned Dr. Rocchio’s expertise, noting she hadn’t published anything on grooming and hadn’t conducted comprehensive studies. When he asked her about payment, she said she had a contract with the government to get paid up to $45,000 for her testimony.

The Wall Street Journal