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[Southern District of New York Acting United States Attorney Audrey Strauss, saying]: "Maxwell was among Epstein's closest associates and helped him exploit girls who were as young as 14 years old.”

Ghislaine Maxwell is a British socialite and confidante of the late disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.

[FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge of New York William F. Sweeney Jr. saying]: "Today we announce the arrest of one of the villains in this investigation."

She's now facing charges of luring underage girls for illegal sex acts.

[Survivor Virginia Roberts Guifree, saying]: "We weren't even a human being to them. We were just another toy to be passed around."

She's kept a low profile since Epstein's death in August 2019.

But her own backstory is far from private and will be key to the prosecution's case.

Ghislaine Maxwell is the daughter of late disgraced media magnate Robert Maxwell, who owned tabloids such as the Daily Mirror in the UK.

He died in mysterious circumstances in 1991.

It emerged soon after that he'd looted hundreds of millions of dollars, stolen from employee pension funds to prop up his crumbling business empire.

Ghislaine Maxwell moved to New York where she began a new life selling real estate, and began a romantic relationship with Epstein; a maths teacher-turned high-flying financier embedded in high society.

The couple later split, but Maxwell remained in his inner circle.

Epstein still described her as his best friend, in a 2003 Vanity Fair article.

The pair also had social links to several powerful figures, including Britain's Prince Andrew.

In 2013 and 2014 Maxwell even appeared at the United Nations speaking on issues of ocean conservation.

But she largely disappeared from public view around 2016, particularly after Epstein was charged with trafficking minors.

His alleged victims, including Maria Farmer, have spoken about Maxwell:

[Maria Farmer, saying: "Basically, they brought me to the, Ghislaine escorts me to Jeffrey's room. And he's lying there and he goes, 'Well, here, sit down.' You know, so right next to him and Ghislaine sits on the other side and they began assaulting me.

In August 2019, Epstein was found hanging in an apparent suicide in his jail cell.

But the questions continued as did the search for Ghislaine Maxwell.

Eventually, police were led to Bradford, New Hampshire where she was tucked away, literally - the place is called "Tucked Away."

[FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge of New York William F. Sweeney Jr. saying]: "We learned she had slithered away to a gorgeous property in New Hampshire, continuing to live a life of privilege while her victims live with the trauma inflicted upon them years ago.”

Maxwell is charged with four criminal counts related to procuring and transporting minors for illegal sex acts, and two counts of perjury.

She faces up to 35 years in prison if convicted.