CrimeOnline spoke to attorney Alan Dershowitz, who represented Jeffrey Epstein in a previous sexual abuse case, about the federal charges against Epstein’s longtime friend Ghislaine Maxwell.

Maxwell, whose whereabouts since Epstein’s death in a Manhattan jail in August 2019 were unknown until her arrest Thursday morning, was taken into federal custody in New Hampshire. She’s accused of conspiring with Epstein to entice and transport minors with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. Some of the victims in Epstein’s alleged sex trafficking ring were as young as 14 years old.

Updated 9: 45 a.m.

According to the New York Times, a law enforcement official has said that Ghislaine Maxwell was arrested on criminal charges connected to the alleged sex-trafficking operation perpetrated by her longtime friend Jeffrey Epstein, who died in August.

Maxwell has been accused by a number of Epstein’s alleged victims of recruiting young women and girls into an abusive situation.

Original Story:

Ghislaine Maxwell, a longtime friend of Jeffrey Epstein, has been taken into custody as part of an investigation into an alleged sex-trafficking ring.

Citing senior law enforcement sources, NBC News reports that Maxwell was arrested by FBI agents in New Hampshire in connection to Epstein’s alleged serial sex abuse of young girls and women.

Epstein was awaiting trail on federal sex-trafficking charges when he took his own life in a Manhattan jail in August 2019. Maxwell’s whereabout since then have been unknown.

Maxwell is expected to appear in federal court on Thursday.

This is a developing story. CrimeOnline will provide further updates when more information is available.

For the latest true crime and justice news, subscribe to the ‘Crime Stories with Nancy Grace’ podcast. Listen to the latest episode:

[Feature image: Ghislaine Maxwell in 1991/AP Photo,Dominique Mollard, File; and Jeffrey Epstein/New York State Sex Offender Registry via AP, File]