"nightline" is next, so i am going to go sit over there. goodnight. this is "nightline." tonight, the accused epstein madam, charged with recruiting underage girls for jeffrey epstein, the sex offenders ex-, now under arrest. >> she was setting him up to be sexually abused by epstein and in some cases by max wewell herself. >> jeffrey was lying there on the bed, and he goes, "sit right here." i sat downl got on the how statualalle haunting high-society names.

"nightline" starts right now with juju chang. >> good evening. she's been called jeffrey epstein's ex-girlfriend, madam, partner in crime, accused of unspeakable acts. tonight the former socialite is under arrest in the latest twist in the jeffrey epstein sex abuse case. it was a portrait of power and privilege, exclusive parties with the future president, hobnobbing with heads of state, even royalty. >> i think we expect child predators to look like monsters, but really, they are lurking among us. >> now nearly a year after his death, the gilded "house of cards" continues to fall. >> maxwell finally stands charged for her role in these crimes. >> today, maxwell, under arrest, the alleged madam and right hand of the disgraced financier who died of apparent suicide in a

manhattan jail. >> the saga of jeffrey epstein did not end when he died by suicide in jail. federal prosecutors had kept on digging. >> the 58-year-old british socialite accused of grooming underage victims between 1994 and '97, prosecutors allege she contributed to jeffrey epstein's abuse of minor girls, helping him to ultimately abuse victims. >> the overall conspiracy and crime of using wealth and status to coerce young children, that is shocking on all levels, particularly in this case where the volume of young girls and the travel between states, the involvement of pilots and chefs and so many people knew about this that were looking the other way. >> maxwell now charged with six counts, including conspiracy to entice minors to travel to

engage in illegal sex acts. and perjury. she encouraged minor victims to provide massages to epstein, especially where the victim would be fully or partially nude. why do you think it took authorities so long to make this arrest? >> i think the prosecutors in the southern district of new york have done an incredible job and are being very meticulous. >> sigrid mccauley is representing several women who have allegations against jeffrey epstein. >> they took a lot of time to be very careful and thoughtful, and that gives me a lot of hope that she will remain in prison for the reminder of her life. >> arrested in new hampshire, ell waived her right to a detention hearing there, clearing the way for transportation to new york where she'll be detained.

they cited her international connections as a flight risk. she'd been hiding out in this 156-acre new hampshire estate, acquired through an all-cash purchase in december 2019. >> she had long-rumored to be in california, in europe. but ultimately, the fbi tracked her down in new hampshire where she had been living in a gorgeous home, continuing to lead a life of privilege, 25 years after she allegedly inflicted this kind of abuse on minor victims. >> maxwell has previously denied all allegation that she facilitated or participated in any of the sex trafficking. >> this morning was a joyful and tearful morning. it was a wonderful moment in my journey with these survivors to be able to call them and tell them that the one person who's been out in the public without

being held accountable was finally in prison. >> how do your clients describe her role in jeffrey epstein's crimes and her own sner. >> she was really the central figure. she worked hand in hand with jeffrey epstein to be able to facilitate these crimes over the course of more than two decades and was the main person who assisted him and allowed him to be able to perpetrate so many crimes against young females. >> some of the alleged victims said it was not just that she was an adult but that she was female. the women say that played a role in the way they saw jeffrey epstein before these alleged crimes. >> she would present herself ini this maternal, big sister kind of way, and when things got sexual they would be more at ease by having this trusted woman there. >> he met her in the early '90s.

>> he met her through a mutual friend in new york. >> by most accounts, they're boyfriend and girl friend. i use that term pretty loosely, because certainly, they had a very open relationship. >> she was 100% the lady of the house. >> it was through her connections as a daughter of a wealthy publisher in london that jeffrey epstein began to hobnob with the rich and famous. she was the one with the social connections. he was the one with the money. >> epstein and maxwell socialized with the international jet set, including power players like bill clinton and donald trump, but both say they knew nothing of his behavior and that they had distanced themselves from epstein, but it was epstein's relationship with prince andrew that sent shockwaves. the ill-fated friendship began in 1999, when maxwell, an old friend of the prince introduced them. >> he had the most extraordinary

ability to bring extraordinary people together. >> prince andrew stayed with epstein at his properties in new york, west palm beach and in the caribbean. he also flew on his private jet. but, behind the glamour, sinister allegations. >> i had just been abuse bd by member of the royal family, so when you talk about these chains, yeah, i wasn't chained to a sink, but these powerful people were my chains. >> in her december interview with "panorama", she alleges epstein and maxwell directed her to have sex with prince andrew when she was just 17. >> this is a story of being trafficked, a story of abuse, and this is a story of your guys' royalty. >> she was recruited when she was 16 and groomed to be

epstein's underage sex slave. she claimed epstein ordered her to have sex with some of his powerf powerful friends, including on three occasions, prince andrew. he maintains he has no recollection of her and never had sex with her. >> absolutely categorically tell you it never happened. >> in a statement and response to "panorama", he regrets his association with jeffrey epstein and deeply sympathizes with those affect hod waed who want sort of closure. sigrid mccauley also represents her. >> he has been asked by the government to give testimony, which it's my understanding he's refused to give. my own firm has asked him for

his deposition, which he again has refused. someone who has nothing to hide would not be refusing to cooperate. >> when we come back, we hear from one of epstein's first accusers. >> if the fbi had listened to me in 1996, there would have been no more victims. >> it would have prevented massive destruction that he caused. taking my treatment at home. nucala is a once-monthly add-on injection for severe eosinophilic asthma. not for sudden breathing problems. allergic reactions can occur. get help right away for swelling of face, mouth, tongue, or trouble breathing. infections that can cause shingles have occurred. don't stop steroids unless told by your doctor. tell your doctor if you have a parasitic infection. may cause headache, injection site reactions, back pain, and fatigue. ask your doctor about nucala at home. find your nunormal with nucala. try nature's bounty hair, skin and nails gummies.

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i love your painting. this is the painting that jeffrey epstein purchased the night i met him. >> marie was initially hired to collect art for epstein, but that quickly morphs into a role where she's signing in in the front of the building. >> she started seeing concerning behavior. >> gill lane maxwell would go out on these drives to procure models. she would say, these are the new biles. i need the new biles. that was her word. she would bring them to jeffrey epstein's mansion. and they were just walked up, one at a time. and they had a certain amount of time upstairs, and then they were brought down. i knew something was wrong. i didn't know what was wrong. >> and one night, in epstein's ohio estate everything changed when she was called into ep

ste epstein's bedroom. >> and he was lying on the bed with socks and boxers, and he goes "sit right here", and i thought, oh, my god. she say the they violently sexually assaulted her. >> i remember being in a lot of pain. they didn't get my clothes off. they tried. i was in an absolute panic, to the point where i was able to get myself up and get out of that room, and ghislaine came after me. i literally took these big pieces of furniture and pushed them against the doors. >> after this alleged assault in ohio, maria's done with epstein and maxwell. she wants nothing more to do with them. but when she gets back to new york she begins to get threatening phone calls from maxwell. she also claims that epstein and maxwell are harassing her and trying to ruin her art career. >> way i've been treated made it very clear to me, there is something else going on. >> maria files a police report

against jeffrey epstein, and then maria calls the fbi. >> and i said, are you taking me seriously? and he said, "yes, i'm taking you seriously." if the fbi had listened to me in 1996, there would have been no more victims. >> the path to justice would take decades. last year, he was arrested. according to the indictment, he s sexually exploited and abused dozens of girls in new york, palm beach. >> it shocks the conscience. >> they conducted a raid on his $56 million home in manhattan. they found hundreds if not thousands of female nude or partially-nude photographs. some of the photographs seemingly showing underaged girls, and inside of a locked

eo nudes 1."t discs, one labeled he would plead not guilty to one count of sex trafficking and sex trafficking with conspiracy. epstein was jailed and held without bail. >> we think he has every incentive to try and flee the jurisdiction. when you have two planes and live much of the year abroad, you know, we think that's a very real risk. >> still facing charges of federal sex trafficking, one month later, epstein would die of an apparent suicide in a manhattan jail. now nearly a year later, gill lane maxwell is also heading to jail to await her trial. >> ghislaine maxwell was a very scary individual to many abuse survivors, and to have her in prison has brought them great peace. >> what do they see as justice for gill lane maxwell? >> they see for ghislaine

maxwell, her being behind bars for the reminder of her life. >> the arrest seems to signal to victims that they will be believed and that even someone as the fbi said living a life of privilege can be held to account. >> can you tell us your full name for the record? try nature's bounty sleep3, a unique tri-layer supplement that calms you, helps you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer great sleep comes naturally with sleep3. only from nature's bounty. so here's to the strong, who trust in our performance and comfortable, long-lasting protection. because your strength is supported by ours.

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and finally tonight, we lost a tv legend here at abc news. here's abc's tom llamas with the life and legacy of hugh downs. >> good evening, i'm hugh downs, and this is "20/20." >> for more than 20 years, he was the reassuring voice of friday night. >> good evening, i'm hugh downs. >> and i'm barbara walters, and this is "20/20." >> but hugh downs' legendary career began decades earlier.

at one point he logged more hours on television than any other person, though, at first, he didn't think tv would last. >> i thought it was a gimmick, like 3d movies and it would go away. >> so the young man from akron, ohio started out in radio. >> they offered me a job for $12.50 a week. >> when he finally made the jump to the small screen he was everywhere. >> jack parr's sidekick. the host of the classic game show "concentration." >> well, congratulations to you on that win. >> in 1962, he went over to the "today show", and when he was looking to pair with a co-host, he had an idea. >> i said why don't we develop our own talent. and they said such as? and i said barbara walters. >> so began one of the longest part nbc before the duo made the jump to abc news

"20/20." these stories took him in the air and deep into the ocean. >> i reached out and grabbed his pectoral fin. >> he even played astronaut on a story on training for space travel. there's an asteroid named after him, 71,000 hugh downs. and every friday night, that signoff. >> we're in touch, so you be in touch. >> he was married to his wife ruth for 73 years. they had two children. he wrote 17 books, played and composed music. but when barbara walters asked him that famous question, he was humbled. >> i'm going to put you on the spot. how do you want to be remembered? >> i hope i'd be remembered as a guy who tried to do some good and who was, most importantly, is honest. i don't, i can't see any greatness that i would be remembered for, but if people think kindly of me, i'll be

happy with that. >> hugh downs was 99 years old. that's "nightlin for tonight. you can watch our full episodes on hulu. we'll see you right back here same time tomorrow. thanks for staying up with us, good night, america. >> jimmy: hi, i'm jimmy. it is friday night. the end of another bad week in america. last night in minneapolis there was a protest, that turned into a riot, that turned into a scene you'd typically only see in a country at war. on monday, an unarmed black man, george floyd became the latest in a series of unarmed black men

to be killed by a police officer. for the crime of trying to pass a fake $20 bill, that he may not have even known was fake, an officer of the peace put his knee on the throat of another human being for eight minutes and ended his life. and many millions of americans are angry. especially in minneapolis. the policeman who killed george floyd, and the three other cops who stood there and did nothing to stop it were fired. but none of them had been charged with anything until today which was almost certainly a result of what happened last night. and the fact that no charges were filed for anyone who saw that video was hard to understand. so yesterday, late in the day, the us attorney, the county attorney and the fbi held a joint press conference, which was intended to reassure everyone that justice would be done. but it didn't. it made it worse. and so again, protestors gathered. they threw rocks, they set the