In the abuse trial against Ghislaine Maxwell, the former business partner of Jeffrey Epstein, Epstein’s pilot brings a few other names of prominent people into play.
New York – Jeffrey Epstein’s longtime pilot Larry Visoski gave testimony on Tuesday (November 30, 2021) in the trial against Epstein’s former business partner Ghislaine Maxwell for sex trafficking on the witness stand. The US judiciary accuses Maxwell of having recruited minors for Epstein for years, who were then abused by the financial investor – allegedly on his plane, among other things.
However, he never saw underage girls on the plane, said Visoski, according to the BBC. When asked how to describe Maxwell’s relationship with Epstein, he said it was “more personal than business,” but not of a romantic nature.
Visoski not only spoke about Maxwell on the witness stand, but also brought the names of many other celebrities into play, whom he said he had flown around the world in Epstein’s private plane. Including the former US Presidents Donald Trump and Bill Clinton, the actor Kevin Spacey and Prince Andrew. Spacey and Prince Andrew are also accused of sexual abuse in other contexts.
Ghislaine Maxwell: Minor Abuse Trial
The court case against Maxwell started on Monday (November 29th, 2021) in New York. At the start of the trial, the public prosecutor called Maxwell a “dangerous” woman who Epstein served minors for “sexual abuse,” according to Agence France-Press. Maxwell is charged with sex trafficking on six counts. The indictment covers the period from 1994 to 2004.
| Ghislaine Maxwell | Businesswoman, former business partner of Jeffrey Epstein |
| Born: | December 25, 1961 (age 59), Maisons-Laffitte, France |
In the process, the public prosecutor relies on four main witnesses. The first main witness with the pseudonym “Jane” testified on the second day of the trial against Epstein’s confidante Ghislaine Maxwell. The 59-year-old was sometimes present and actively engaged in sexual acts when she was abused by Epstein, the witness said.
As a witness in the abuse trial: Epstein’s pilot testifies against Ghislaine Maxwell
“Jane” is said to have been 14 years old when she is said to have met Epstein and Maxwell. At that time, she attended a summer camp for girls at an art academy in Michigan. Epstein is said to have been introduced to her as a wealthy donor and to have promised to fund her education. A few months earlier, her father had died and the family had lost their home. Epstein later invited her to his home in Florida, where she often met Maxwell. The financial investor gave her money to support her mother. She also reported on shopping trips and cinema visits with Maxwell, according to Agence France-Press. The first abuses are said to have occurred during this time.
In the 1990s, Epstein is said to have flown at least once a year with his pilot to Traverse City, where he visited the said camp every summer and stayed there in his hut, according to Visoski, according to the American news portal Daily Beast. The hut is said to have been built near the accommodation at the summer camp, where Epstein offered scholarships for schoolgirls.
Pilot on first main witness in the sex trafficking process – “Jane” seemed to him to be an adult
According to his own statement, Visoski remembers the witness. He is said to have picked up luggage from summer camp before a flight from Traverse City (Michigan) and later met her in Palm Beach, where she was introduced to him by Epstein as a “singer”, according to Daily Beast. According to the pilot, he never knew the age of the passengers. However, he always believed that they were adults. “I haven’t noticed anyone of a younger nature without an adult or parent,” Visoski testified. “I didn’t know the exact age of anyone.” When Assistant Attorney General Maureen Comey asked for “Jane”, Visoski replied that she was “a mature woman with piercing powder blue eyes”.
In over 25 years as Epstein’s pilot, he had never seen sexual activity during the flights, Visoski said. The cockpit door during the flights with the plane, which was nicknamed “Lolita Express”, was always closed.
| Jeffrey Epstein | Investment banker and convicted sex offender |
| Born: | January 20, 1953, Brooklyn, New York City, USA |
| Died: | August 10, 2019, Metropolitan Correctional Center, New York City, USA |
Sexual abuse: The plaintiff against Prince Andrew is also said to have been on board
The pilot also recalled flying with Virginia Roberts Giuffre, the BBC reported. The American is one of the plaintiffs against Prince Andrew in the case of sexual abuse of young people. At the time of the crime, she is said to have been 17 years old. Queen Elizabeth’s 61-year-old son has denied the abuse allegations. The hearing against Prince Andrew was postponed in October.
When asked whether he remembered Giuffre, Visoski said: “Yes. A smaller woman with dirty blond hair. She didn’t look young. I mean, the definition of young is whatever you make of it. But she was a woman in my category ”.
Ghislaine Maxwell abuse lawsuit: Flight planning by Jeffrey Epstein’s assistants
Visoski told the New York Daily News that he flew Epstein regularly to his private Caribbean island of Little St. James from 1991 until his arrest and suicide in 2019. Epstein often nicknamed the island, Little St. Jeff’s. “Every week to every 10 days, if we weren’t exactly somewhere else in the world, but it was a regular goal,” says Visoski. An aerial photo of Epstein’s 75 acre (Anglo-Saxon area unit, equivalent to about 4047 m2) large private paradise with a helipad, framed by a crystal clear blue sea, was given to the jury along with photos of the financier’s planes and the sprawling, 10,000-acre Zorro Ranch in New Mexico shown.
According to Visoski, according to the Daily Beast, he always received instructions for future flights at short notice, sometimes the day before or with even less interval. Epstein’s assistants Sarah Kellen and Lesley Groff, who are considered to be Epstein’s co-conspirators, often planned the flights. The pilot added that he was talking to Kellen so often that their number was on his speed dial button.
New York abuse trial: Ghislaine Maxwell denies all allegations
Epstein, who had previously been convicted of sex crimes, was found dead in his Manhattan prison cell in August 2019 after being arrested again. According to official information, he committed suicide.
Maxwell has been in a US prison since her arrest last year. She rejects all allegations. If convicted, she faces up to 80 years in prison. The process is estimated to take a total of six weeks. (Anna Charlotte Groos)
List of rubric lists: © Elizabeth Williams / dpa
