Ghislaine Maxwell is sentenced to 20 years in prison

In this courtroom sketch, Ghislaine Maxwell gives her statement in federal court, in New York, on June 28, 2022. Elizabeth Williams/AP hide caption

toggle caption Elizabeth Williams/AP In this courtroom sketch, Ghislaine Maxwell gives her statement in federal court, in New York, on June 28, 2022.

Elizabeth Williams/AP Disgraced socialite Ghislaine Maxwell was sentenced to 20 years in prison for the sex-

trafficking ring of young teens she helped financier Jeffrey Epstein run for a decade.

The punishment doled out by U.S. District Judge Alison J. Nathan on Tuesday marks the most

concrete punishment yet for the years of abuse Maxwell and Epstein imposed on young girls.

Several of those girls, now adults, testified during the trial, bravely pulling the curtain back on years of abuse they suffered after Maxwell and Epstein tugged them into their orbit.

The two often used the allure of wealth and their connections to powerful people such as Prince Andrew, Bill Clinton and Donald Trump.

"Today's sentence holds Ghislaine Maxwell accountable for perpetrating heinous crimes against children

" U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said in a statement tweeted by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York

"This sentence sends a strong message that no one is above the law and it is never too late for justice."

The women were heard again on Tuesday. Eight women sent the court victim impact statements — unredacted

over Maxwell's objections — describing the long-lasting effects of Maxwell's crimes

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