British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell was
found guilty on Wednesday of recruiting and grooming young girls. Is Prince Andrew next?

On Wednesday, a jury convicted Maxwell of
five of six charges related to sex trafficking. She is facing up to 65 years in
prison. Lisa Bloom, an attorney who has represented several Jeffrey Epstein accusers,
thinks that decision should be a warning for another famous associate of the
late sex offender.

Also Read: Ghislaine Maxwell’s age, husband, children and net worth

“I think Prince Andrew should be quaking in
his royal boots,” Bloom was quoted as saying by Rolling Stone. “I think he should be concerned.
Reckoning is coming for everyone who enabled Jeffrey Epstein and participated
in his scheme.”

Victim accuses Prince Andrew of assaulting her 

As Maxwell was found guilty the question
now is what might happen with the case of Prince Andrew, who has been accused
by alleged Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre of assaulting her when she was a
young woman. Giuffre has claimed that Epstein trafficked her to have sex with
Prince Andrew when she was just 17. Prince Andrew, however, has denied these
allegations, saying in an interview from earlier this year that he has “no
recollection of ever meeting”.

Also Read: Who is Ghislaine Maxwell?

Prince Andrew’s defence team has been
aggressively trying to get the Southern District Court of New York to drop
Giuffre’s civil case against him. In documents filed yesterday, Prince Andrew’s
attorney Andrew B. Brettler argued that the case should be dismissed because
the court did not have jurisdiction, as Giuffre has spent the majority of the
past 20 years in Australia rather than America. Giuffre’s lawyer told Rolling
Stone that Brettler’s efforts were “just another in a series of tired attempts
by Prince Andrew to duck and dodge the legal merits of the case Virginia
Giuffre has brought against him.”

The defence team has also tried to block
the release of court documents related to Epstein’s 2009 settlement with
Giuffre, which bears directly on Andrew’s case. Yet that argument did not
succeed: On Wednesday, U.S. District Judges Lewis Kaplan and Loretta Preska in
Manhattan ruled that the documents be released on Jan. 3, 2022.

Also Read: British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell convicted in Jeffrey Epstein sex abuse case

‘Huge Setback for Prince Andrew’

“This is a huge setback for Prince Andrew
and his defense,” Florida lawyer Adam Horowitz, who has represented multiple
Epstein accusers, tells Rolling Stone. He pointed out that Maxwell is mentioned
23 times in Giuffre’s lawsuit against the British royal. “Had Maxwell been
acquitted, she would have been a key witness for Prince Andrew. She could have
denied all of the things that she’s accused of doing with regard to Virginia
and Prince Andrew. The lawsuit says that Maxwell recruited for Epstein, that
she manipulated victims for Epstein, that she intimidated victims and that
Virginia was actually introduced to Prince Andrew through Maxwell,” Horowitz
said.

Also Read: Ghislaine Maxwell trial: Closing arguments begin as jury weighs verdict

David Boies, an attorney for Guiffre, said in a statement that he sees this outcome as an opening to
prosecute others who might have been involved.

“The jury’s verdict vindicates
the courage and commitment of our clients who stood up against all odds for
many years to bring Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell to justice,” he said.

Also Read: Ghislaine Maxwell won’t testify at her sex trafficking trial

“They did not act, and could not have acted, alone. The scope and scale and
duration of their sex trafficking crimes depended on many wealthy and powerful
collaborators and co-conspirators. They too are not above the law. They too
must be brought to justice,” Boies added.