Epstein accuser Sarah Ransome on Ghislaine Maxwell's guilty verdict: "I never thought this day would ever happen"
CBSN
Sarah Ransome, one of the women who has spoken out about allegations of abuse by Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, says she felt "vindicated" and "completely overwhelmed" after a New York jury convicted Maxwell on five out of six federal counts related to Epstein's sex trafficking ring.
"I never thought this day would ever happen," Ransome told "CBS Mornings." "For me it's really important to thank the prosecutors and to thank the four incredibly brave, beautiful women that testified because without them, without their truth, we would never have got Ghislaine behind bars. We would never have had this verdict. So yes, this is justice. But this is just the beginning."
Maxwell was found guilty Wednesday on charges of sex trafficking of a minor, transporting a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, and three counts of conspiracy. Maxwell, who pleaded not guilty and denies all claims of wrongdoing, faces a potential maximum sentence of 65 years in prison.
Ashley White received her earliest combat action badge from the United States Army soon after the first lieutenant arrived in Afghanistan. The silver military award, recognizing soldiers who've been personally engaged by an attacker during conflict, was considered an achievement in and of itself as well as an affirming rite of passage for the newly deployed. White had earned it for using her own body to shield a group of civilian women and children from gunfire that broke out in the midst of her third mission in Kandahar province. All of them survived. She never mentioned the badge to anyone in her battalion.