A New York court will see an alleged photo of one of Jeffrey Epstein’s underage goddaughters on his lap as he apparently pulls down her underwear and bites her buttocks.
According to the Daily Mail, the prosecution said Epstein kept the damning picture on his desk. Judge Alison Nathan, who is presiding over Ghislaine Maxwell’s ongoing federal sex trafficking trial, ruled on Friday that the picture could be submitted into evidence for upcoming witness testimony.
Judge Nathan also allowed into evidence a photo of the same goddaughter in her underwear, which Epstein hung outside a bedroom he allegedly shared with Maxwell. The photo was discovered at the couple’s home in Palm Beach, Florida, when the FBI raided the residence in 2005, the Daily Mail reported.
Meanwhile, Maxwell’s attorney, Christian Everdell, argued that the evidence’s admission may give the impression that Epstein liked ‘prepubescent’ girls. Everdell said the image of Epstein appearing to bite his goddaughter’s buttocks was a “playful moment” and “nothing illegal,” according to the Daily Mail.
Maxwell, 59, who was arrested on July 2 in New Hampshire, is accused of grooming at least three underage girls, as young as 14, for Epstein to sexually abuse between 1994 and 1997. She has pleaded not guilty to sex trafficking and other related charges.
Epstein, 66, was jailed without bond in July 2019 following allegations that he sex-trafficked dozens of underage girls from 2002 to 2005. The billionaire financier was found hanging in his cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan on August 10, 2019 — sparking skepticism that he died by suicide.
Maxwell has denied grooming and recruiting girls to be sexually abused by Epstein. Her trial is expected to last six weeks.
For the latest true crime and justice news, subscribe to the ‘Crime Stories with Nancy Grace’ podcast. Listen to a related episode:
[Featured image: AP Photo/John Minchillo, File]
