Prosecutors ready to throw little black book at Ghislaine Maxwell

US prosecutors claim a contacts book belonging to the British socialite provides ‘compelling evidence of her guilt’.

Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine in New York in 2005. Picture: Getty Images

It is the little black book that could help to seal Ghislaine Maxwell’s fate.

US prosecutors have claimed that a contacts book belonging to the British socialite, which contains the names of her alleged victims, provides “compelling evidence of her guilt”.

The existence of the potentially incriminating document – ­labelled Government Exhibit 52 – has emerged just over a week before Maxwell, 59, is due to go on trial in New York over child sex trafficking charges.

The exhibit is among evidence and witness information that has been disclosed for the first time in US court filings.

In addition:

● Prosecutors intend to introduce testimony relating to two new under-age victims.

● A Polish-born former model who worked as a personal assistant to the late paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein is expected to testify against Maxwell.

● Staff at the luxury Florida villa used by Epstein and his British ex-girlfriend were allegedly told: “See nothing, hear nothing, say nothing.”

● As Maxwell’s long-awaited trial begins next Monday, her older brother, Ian, vowed that at least one of her six siblings would attend court each day to provide “moral support and comfort”. He said: “It’s absolutely essential … that Ghislaine is supported and is seen to be supported by her family. She’s on trial for her life.”

The proceeding in Manhattan are expected to last for about six weeks, with a brief pause over the Christmas weekend, when Maxwell turns 60. The Oxford graduate, who denies all the charges, will almost certainly die in jail if she is convicted on all six charges.

Prosecutors regard the contacts book, Exhibit 52, as a possible smoking gun. The document, which Maxwell’s lawyers have been seeking to strike out as evidence, appears to be a version of Epstein’s infamous “black book”, which contained the details of some of the world’s most powerful people, including Donald Trump and Prince Andrew.

The 97-page directory was taken from the couple’s villa in Palm Beach, Florida, by Alfredo Rodriguez, a former butler. He attempted to sell it for $US50,000 in 2009 to a man who turned out to be an undercover FBI agent.

According to court papers it was seen in Maxwell’s office and contains “contact information for victims who interacted with the defendant during the relevant time period … (it) is compelling evidence of her guilt”.

Maxwell’s defence team, however, describe the book as “an unauthenticated hearsay document from suspect sources”. If the exhibit is presented to the jury, her lawyers have expert witnesses who will cast doubt on its value.

The indictment against Maxwell covers the period from 1994 to 2004 and is primarily based on the testimony of four accusers, including one who was 14 when she claims she was first abused.

All four women are expected to give evidence at the trial using aliases or only their first names, although the jury will be supplied with their real identities.

One of the accusers, hitherto known as “Minor Victim 4”, is set to disclose the existence of two new under-age victims, according to the pre-trial court papers.

Anyone under 18 is regarded as a minor.

Another woman likely to be called by prosecutors is Adriana Ross, 38, a former model who was known as Epstein’s “scheduler”.

Ross, now believed to be an accountant, was allegedly asked by Epstein to clear computers and contacts books from the Palm Beach villa before a police raid in 2005. She is one of four female “co-conspirators” who were granted immunity from prosecution as part of Epstein’s plea deal in 2008 when he was convicted of procuring a child for prostitution and jailed for 18 months.

Other evidence that prosecutors want to put before the jury includes a manual governing rules for staff at Maxwell and Epstein’s former Florida home, where dozens of girls were allegedly abused.

“The relevance of the document is self-evident,” prosecutors argue. “Among other things, it directs employees to ‘see nothing, hear nothing, say nothing’.”

Epstein, 66, died in custody in 2019 while awaiting trial in New York for child sex offences.

THE SUNDAY TIMES