Who is the real Ghislaine Maxwell: Epstein enabler or pawn?

Ghislaine Maxwell spent the first half of her life with her father, a rags-to-riches billionaire who looted his companies' pension funds and died mysteriously. She spent the second with another tycoon, Jeffrey Epstein, who killed himself while charged with sexually abusing teens.

Starting Monday, prosecutors in New York will argue that Maxwell, 59, abetted Epstein’s crimes with girls as young as 14. A key question for jurors: Was Maxwell an unwitting pawn of Epstein’s manipulations or a knowing opportunist?

Ian Maxwell told The Associated Press his sister is "paying a heavy price, a blood price" to a justice system intent on holding someone responsible for Epstein’s crimes.

Ghislaine Maxwell, 59, grew up in a 51-room English country mansion where high-society parties were punctuated by trumpeters and fireworks. BBC images from the time show Ghislaine as a child with a kid-size plate of food, learning how to be a master networker.