Ghislaine Maxwell’s New Hampshire hideaway where she was arrested by FBI 'was protected by ex-British soldiers'

Jeffrey Epstein associate hired former military men to evade police detection

Ghislaine Maxwell was under the protection of ex-British soldiers when she was arrested by the FBI, prosecutors have said.

Maxwell, who was denied bail on Tuesday, entrusted the former military personnel with her protection at the New Hampshire mansion where she was arrested on 2 July.

One ex-soldier, according to court documents, told the FBI that he used Maxwell’s credit card to shop for supplies so she did not have to leave the house and risk detection.

The guards were hired by Maxwell’s brother and worked in “rotations”, wrote prosecutors.

The British socialite faces up to 35 years in jail over allegations she recruited young girls for Jeffrey Epstein to sexually abuse in the 1990s.

Government prosecutor Alison Moe said on Tuesday that Maxwell had been “willing to lie to hide herself and disguise her identity” before her arrest.

FBI agents had to break down a door to enter Maxwell’s property, which prosecutors said she purchased under the alias “Janet Marshall”.

The 58-year-old was located by FBI agents in an interior room with her mobile phone wrapped in tin foil, to further evade authorities.

“Through a window, the agents saw the defendant ignore the direction to open the door and, instead, try to flee to another room in the house, quickly shutting a door behind her,” said prosecutors.

Agents then broke down a door to arrest Maxwell, who was described in court on Tuesday as “an extreme flight risk” with international ties who had “a strong incentive to flee.”

Maxwell will remain in police custody until her trial, which is scheduled for one year’s time.