Maxwell in Court: I'm Innocent. Judge Then Denies Bail

Ghislaine Maxwell has long denied that she played any role in Jeffrey Epstein's abuse of underage girls. On Tuesday, she made it official during a Manhattan court hearing, reports the Guardian. "Not guilty, your honor," the 58-year-old said by video, offering her plea to charges that she recruited and groomed girls for Epstein. Maxwell has been held without bail since her arrest on July 2 in New Hampshire, notes the Hollywood Reporter. That won't change, the judge decided Tuesday after taking her plea, per the AP. Maxwell’s lawyers had sought to have her released on $5 million bail; prosecutors argued she was a flight risk. Her lawyers told the court she “vigorously denies the charges, intends to fight them, and is entitled to the presumption of innocence." Maxwell faces up to 35 years in federal prison. (She tried to hide from agents who came to arrest her.)