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Ghislaine Maxwell's family hint at using ‘new evidence' in shock bid to FREE her… as MAGA civil war erupts over Epstein

Ghislaine Maxwell's family hint at using ‘new evidence' in shock bid to FREE her… as MAGA civil war erupts over Epstein

The Irish Suna day ago
THE family of disgraced British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell has hinted at a bombshell bid to get her out of prison using fresh evidence.
Maxwell, 63,
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Ghislaine Maxwell seen at FCI Tallahassee
Credit: The Mega Agency
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Ghislaine Maxwell runs and walks around the track at FCI Tallahassee where she is currently serving twenty years for her role in the Epstein sex trafficking case
Credit: The Mega Agency
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Her family has hinted at a bombshell bid to get her out of prison using fresh evidence
Credit: The Mega Agency
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A picture of Ghislaine Maxwell with Jeffrey Epstein, which was shown to the court during the sex trafficking trial of Maxwell
Credit: PA
She was sentenced to 20 years in prison at the federal court in the southern district of New York (SDNY) in June 2022.
Maxwell's
family
has suggested that "government misconduct" could be used as new evidence to challenge her imprisonment.
They argue that Maxwell should have been protected under an agreement Epstein entered with the Department of Justice (DoJ) in 2007.
It agreed not to prosecute any of his co-conspirators after he "paid fines to victims"
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Her family has frequently claimed she "did not receive a fair trial".
Although legal appeals against her
sex
trafficking convictions have been rejected by the
courts
.
In a statement, the disgraced socialite's family said: "Our sister Ghislaine did not receive a fair trial.
"Her legal team continues to fight her case in the courts and will file its reply in short order to the government's opposition in the US
Supreme Court
.
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"If necessary, in due course they will also file a writ of habeas corpus in the US district court, SDNY.
"This allows her to challenge her imprisonment based on new evidence, such as government misconduct that would have likely changed the trial's outcome."
Judges previously dismissed her lawyers' arguments that she "should never have been prosecuted" because of a "weird" agreement drafted more than 15 years ago.
Epstein prison CCTV is finally RELEASED 6yrs after paedo's 'suicide'…as probe 'reveals whether financier killed himself'
The US Justice Department has reportedly written to the Supreme Court to ask a judge to further deny Maxwell's appeal against her convictions.
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During her three-week trial in 2021, jurors heard prosecutors describe
They were told details of how she helped entice vulnerable teenagers to Epstein's various properties for him to sexually abuse.
A separate case against Epstein's girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell detailed Epstein's connections with high-profile figures like Britain's Prince Andrew.
Andrew has always denied any wrongdoing.
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It comes as The Sun on Sunday exclusively
Her legal team believes the former socialite has a 'window of momentum' after the
A source said: "Those close to her believe it's unfair that she alone is paying for Epstein's crimes and call into question much of the evidence against her.
'Now her legal team feel as if they have a rare window of momentum so they are set to take up her case with the President."
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Maxwell came out for her exercise as seen on July 10
Credit: The Mega Agency
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Prince Andrew pictured with Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre and Ghislaine Maxwell
Credit: AFP
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Epstein with Maxwell
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Jeffrey Epstein's life and death were being probed by the FBI
Credit: AFP
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MAGA CIVIL WAR
Trump's MAGA camp has been
sex
trafficking
investigation
.
The US Department of Justice (DoJ) and
DoJ last week announced that Epstein died by suicide - although conspiracy theories are to the contrary.
They added that there was no 'incriminating client list' to be revealed to the public - and no further revelations would be made regarding the case.
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US Attorney General Pam Bondi had suggested in February that Epstein's supposed client list was sitting on her desk waiting for
review
.
Though last week she appeared to suggest she'd been referring generally to the Epstein case file, not a client list.
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Donald Trump interrupted a question to his Attorney General Pam Bondi (left) to speak about Epstein
Credit: Splash
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Elon Musk made his claims about Donald Trump being in the Epstein files
Credit: Getty
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Bondi said: "I did an interview on Fox, and it's been getting a lot of attention because I said I was asked a question about the client list, and my response was, it's sitting on my desk to be reviewed.
"Meaning the file, along with the JFK, MLK files as well. That's what I meant by that."
Meanwhile,
Trump insisted the
are "pretty boring" amid a slew of
- and his so-called client list.
Many within Trump's MAGA movement allege that the files about the paedophile's crimes have been withheld to protect big names.
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Last night, Trump said the DoJ should release all "credible" information from its probe into the notorious sex criminal.
Though he repeated his claim that the so-called Epstein files were "made up" by his Democratic predecessors in the White House - even though he said multiple times during the election campaign that he would "probably" release them.
He told reporters in the White House: "I don't understand why the Jeffrey Epstein case would be of interest to anybody.
"It's pretty boring stuff."
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THE 'EPSTEIN FILES'
One key theory centres on a rumoured client list of individuals who committed sex offences alongside Epstein.
The Trump administration has insisted that no such list exists.
Trump was himself dragged into the conspiracy theories after his
His administration's efforts to appease demands for a full disclosure of the files have largely fallen short.
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A bundle released in February that promised to shed light on the Epstein case contained little new information.
Sceptics also allege suspicious circumstances in Epstein's death, such as the security cameras around his cell apparently malfunctioning on the night he died, alongside other irregularities.
An almost
The camera angle showed a section of the New York prison on the night Epstein died - but appeared to be missing a minute of footage, fueling more speculation online.
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Bondi explained that the lost minute in the footage - which occurs at 11.59pm - was due to the prison's outdated system.
The missing minute happens at 11.59pm - with the time switching from 11.58.59pm to midnight.
Bondi said: "There was a minute that was off the counter, and what we learned from the Bureau of Prisons is every night they redo that video… every night should have the same minute missing."
A memo from the Justice Department and FBI last week saying the Epstein files did not contain evidence that would justify further investigation was met by calls for the heads of each agency to resign.
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The CCTV footage released by the government was sought to dispel conspiracy theories
Credit: US Department of Justice
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I quit the UK with my boyfriend for sunny Australia – I never imagined the horror that was awaiting us
I quit the UK with my boyfriend for sunny Australia – I never imagined the horror that was awaiting us

The Irish Sun

timean hour ago

  • The Irish Sun

I quit the UK with my boyfriend for sunny Australia – I never imagined the horror that was awaiting us

LIKE most young couples, Joanne Lees and her boyfriend Peter Falconio were eager to explore the world together. The pair dreamt of leaving their home in Brighton for a sunnier, less pebbly beach in Sunny Australia - but Joanne could never imagine the 6 Peter Falconio and Joanne Lees in the Australian Outback in 2001 before his tragic end 6 Joanne had no idea their trip of a lifetime would end in horror Credit: PA 6 Bradley Murdoch killed Peter and attempted to kidnap Joanne Credit: PA Joanne, 28, and Peter, 27, decided to get a working visa before heading to Sydney in 2001. Joanne found a job at a bookstore and the pair spent five months exploring the city and its nightlife before buying a The pair planned to cruise from Sydney to Brisbane taking in the sites along the way. But their lives were soon about to change forever after driving along Stuart Highway one cold July night. READ MORE TRUE CRIME The two travellers were flagged down by Bradley John Murdoch along a remote stretch of the highway near Barrow Creek. Murdoch, a drug-runner and mechanic, drove alongside the couple to warn them sparks were coming out the back of their van. As Peter stepped out to check the damage, Murdoch brutally shot him in the head while Joanne sat up front in the van none the wiser. She said: "I heard him talking to the man, all seemed amicable, joking, I could hear him saying 'Cheers mate, thanks for stopping,' it just seemed all friendly." Most read in Fabulous At one point, she looked in the mirror and made eye contact with Murdoch, which left Joanne feeling uneasy, so she began to rev the engine in the hope Peter would hurry up. "I heard a bang, I automatically thought 'Oh it's the exhaust.' I stopped running the engine, turned to look around the man was stood outside the driver's door," she reveals. 6 Peter was shot in the head by Murdoch after checking the campervan Grandparents, 46 & 47, found GUILTY of murdering boy, 2, after horrific 'targeted' abuse and 'casual cruelty' "I saw the gun in his hand pointing at me." He went on to bound her wrists with cable ties and forced her into his own van before taking her hairband and tying it around his gun as a trophy. For me there was no choice. It was either run or be raped and killed. Joanne Lees "I just felt the isolation that I was completely alone. I was screaming for Pete to come and help me, he didn't return. "Now I realise that Peter had already lost his life but I didn't want to accept that," she said. The Outback Murders Timeline July 14, 2001: British backpacker Peter Falconio disappears and is presumed murdered on the Stuart Highway near Barrow Creek, Northern Territory, Australia. His girlfriend, Joanne Lees, is assaulted and abducted but manages to escape. November 1, 2001: Police interview Bradley John Murdoch in Broome. August 22, 2002: Bradley Murdoch is arrested and tried on an unrelated kidnap and assault charge by South Australia Police. November 2002: Joanne Lees identifies Murdoch from police photographs. 2003: Murdoch is arrested and charged with the murder of Peter Falconio and the assault and attempted kidnapping of Joanne Lees, following his acquittal for unrelated rape and abduction charges in South Australia. DNA evidence links him to the crime. October 17, 2005: The trial of Bradley John Murdoch for the murder of Peter Falconio and the assault and attempted kidnapping of Joanne Lees begins in the Supreme Court of the Northern Territory in Darwin. December 13, 2005: Bradley John Murdoch is found guilty of Peter Falconio's murder and the assault and attempted kidnapping of Joanne Lees. He is sentenced to life imprisonment with a non-parole period of 28 years. June 24, 2025: It is announced Murdoch has been released from prison into palliative care at Alice Springs Hospital due to terminal throat cancer. July 15, 2025: Bradley John Murdoch dies at the age of 67, without ever revealing the location of Peter Falconio's remains. At some point, Murdoch went back to the couple's van and Joanne seized her chance to escape and ran into the outback. There, she waited for several hours, hiding in a salt bush, praying Murdoch and his dog wouldn't sniff her out. "For me, there was no choice. It was either run or be raped and killed," she told Thankfully, Murdoch was unable to find her and she eventually was able to flag down a road train to get help. Joanne was taken to the police, where she was able to describe Murdoch's appearance and his car, which the police were later able to track down thanks to CCTV. His DNA was then tested against the cable tie handcuffs he made Joanne and it was a match. 6 Joanne Lees went back to the location to try and find Peter's body Life Now He was officially charged for the murder of Peter and attempted kidnapping of Joanne in 2005 and sentenced to life in prison. Earlier this week, Murdoch died while in hospital from throat cancer at the age of 67. While many won't be saddened by the news of his death, grief is felt as Peter's family has never been able to properly say goodbye. Despite spending 24 years in prison, Murdoch has never confessed to where he put Peter's body, which still remains unfound. Last month, police offered a reward of £400,000 for information on the murdered backpacker. Joanne, who has never forgotten about Peter, went back to the Australian outback in 2017 to help bring him home. "The important thing is for me to come here and at least try," she said. "I loved his smile, his sense of adventure. And even though you know he only had a short life and died at the age of 28... he made the most of it." Joanne, now 51, lives in West Yorkshire and works as a social worker. Since her return to the outback to try and find Peter in 2017 she has stayed out of the media. 6 Bradley Murdoch died in hospital earlier this week without revealing where Peter's remains are Credit: EPA Where to seek grief support Need professional help with grief? Child Bereavement UK Cruse Bereavement Relate The Good Grief Trust You can also always speak to your GP if you're struggling. You're Not Alone Check out these books, podcasts and apps that all expertly navigate grief… Griefcast: Cariad Lloyd interviews comedians on this award-winning podcast. The Madness Of Grief by Rev Richard Coles (£9.99, W&N): The Strictly fave writes movingly on losing his husband David to alcoholism. Terrible, Thanks For Asking: Podcast host Nora McInerny encourages non-celebs to share how they're really feeling. 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Body found in search for missing Brit 2 weeks after vanishing in Alps having sent last text saying ‘I've lost the trail'
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The Irish Sun

time2 hours ago

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Body found in search for missing Brit 2 weeks after vanishing in Alps having sent last text saying ‘I've lost the trail'

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Sextortion scams increase with rise of AI 'nudify' apps
Sextortion scams increase with rise of AI 'nudify' apps

RTÉ News​

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  • RTÉ News​

Sextortion scams increase with rise of AI 'nudify' apps

After a Kentucky teenager died by suicide this year, his parents discovered he had received threatening texts demanding $3,000 (€2,590) to suppress an AI-generated nude image of him. The tragedy underscores how so-called sextortion scams targeting children are growing around the world, particularly with the rapid proliferation of "nudify" apps - AI tools that digitally strip off clothing or generate sexualised imagery. Elijah Heacock, 16, was just one of thousands of American minors targeted by such digital blackmail, which has spurred calls for more action from tech platforms and regulators. His parents told US media that the text messages ordered him to pay up, or an apparently AI-generated nude photo would be sent to his family and friends. "The people that are after our children are well organized," John Burnett, the boy's father, said in a CBS News interview. "They are well financed, and they are relentless. They don't need the photos to be real, they can generate whatever they want, and then they use it to blackmail the child." US investigators were looking into the case, which comes as nudify apps - which rose to prominence targeting celebrities - are being increasingly weaponised against children. The FBI has reported a "horrific increase" in sextortion cases targeting US minors, with victims typically males between the ages of 14 and 17. The threat has led to an "alarming number of suicides," the agency warned. Instruments of abuse In a recent survey, Thorn, a non-profit focused on preventing online child exploitation, found that 6% of American teens have been a direct victim of deepfake nudes. "Reports of fakes and deepfakes - many of which are generated using these 'nudifying' services - seem to be closely linked with reports of financial sextortion, or blackmail with sexually explicit images," the British watchdog Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) said in a report last year. "Perpetrators no longer need to source intimate images from children because images that are convincing enough to be harmful - maybe even as harmful as real images in some cases - can be produced using generative AI." The IWF identified one "pedophile guide" developed by predators that explicitly encouraged perpetrators to use nudifying tools to generate material to blackmail author of the guide claimed to have successfully blackmailed some 13-year-old girls. The tools are a lucrative business. A new analysis of 85 websites selling nudify services found they may be collectively worth up to $36 million a year. The analysis from Indicator, a US publication investigating digital deception, estimates that 18 of the sites made between $2.6m and $18.4m over the six months to May. Most of the sites rely on tech infrastructure from Google, Amazon, and Cloudflare to operate, and remain profitable despite crackdowns by platforms and regulators, Indicator said. 'Whack-a-mole' The proliferation of AI tools has led to new forms of abuse impacting children, including pornography scandals at universities and schools worldwide, where teenagers created sexualised images of their own classmates. A recent Save the Children survey found that one in five young people in Spain have been victims of deepfake nudes, with those images shared online without their consent. Earlier this year, Spanish prosecutors said they were investigating three minors in the town of Puertollano for allegedly targeting their classmates and teachers with AI-generated pornographic content and distributing it in their school. In the United Kingdom, the government this year made creating sexually explicit deepfakes a criminal offence, with perpetrators facing up to two years in jail. And in May, US President Donald Trump signed the bipartisan "Take It Down Act," which criminalises the non-consensual publication of intimate images, while also mandating their removal from online platforms. Meta also recently announced it was filing a lawsuit against a Hong Kong company behind a nudify app called Crush AI, which it said repeatedly circumvented the tech giant's rules to post ads on its platforms. But despite such measures, researchers say AI nudifying sites remain resilient. "To date, the fight against AI nudifiers has been a game of whack-a-mole," Indicator said, calling the apps and sites "persistent and malicious adversaries".

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