NEW YORK – A longtime aviator for Jeffrey Epstein told a assemblage Tuesday astatine Ghislaine Maxwell's enactment trafficking proceedings that helium ne'er saw grounds of intersexual enactment connected planes arsenic helium flew his brag and others — including a prince and ex-presidents — for astir 3 decades.
Lawrence Paul Visoski Jr., the trial's archetypal witness, was responding to questions by a defence lawyer erstwhile helium acknowledged that helium ne'er encountered intersexual enactment aboard 2 jets helium piloted for astir 1,000 trips betwixt 1991 and 2019.
He said helium stayed successful the cockpit for the bulk of flights, but would sometimes look to spell to the bath oregon get coffee.
Although helium was called arsenic a witnesser by the government, Visoski's grounds seemed to assistance the defence of Maxwell arsenic helium answered questions posed by Maxwell lawyer Christian Everdell astir what helium saw erstwhile helium straightened up the craft aft a flight.
Visoski didn't hesitate erstwhile Everdell asked him if helium ever saw intersexual enactment erstwhile helium went for java oregon recovered enactment toys erstwhile helium cleaned up.
Ad
“Never,” the aviator answered to some questions. He said helium ne'er saw utilized condoms either.
And erstwhile helium was asked if helium ever saw enactment acts with underage females, helium answered: “Absolutely not.”
The aviator said Epstein ne'er warned him to enactment successful the cockpit during flights and besides encouraged him to usage a bath adjacent the rear of the level that would necessitate him to locomotion past the plane's couches.
He said helium ne'er saw immoderate children connected his planes who were not accompanied by their parents.
When Everdell asked him astir a teen who prosecutors accidental was sexually abused by Epstein earlier she became an adult, Visoski said helium believed she was “mature” erstwhile helium was introduced to her.
He besides acknowledged that Clinton was a rider connected a fewer flights successful the 2000s and helium had piloted planes with Britain's Prince Andrew, the precocious U.S. Sen. John Glenn of Ohio — the archetypal American to orbit Earth — and erstwhile presidents Donald Trump and Bill Clinton, “more than once.”
Ad
Visoski said Epstein gave him 40 acres of onshore to physique a location connected the financier's New Mexico spot and paid for his daughters' assemblage education.
Epstein’s level was derisively nicknamed “The Lolita Express” by immoderate successful the media aft allegations emerged that helium had utilized it to alert teenage girls to his backstage island, his New Mexico ranch and his New York City townhouse.
Flight records, made nationalist arsenic portion of civilian litigation, besides showed that Epstein had utilized the level to alert celebrities, influential academics and politicians astir the globe.
Luminaries who flew with Epstein person had to bushed backmost speculation that their beingness connected the flights meant they indispensable person been alert of the millionaire’s crimes. Clinton, similar others who took rides from Epstein, has said helium was unaware of immoderate misconduct.
Maxwell, 59, traveled for decades successful circles that enactment her successful interaction with accomplished and affluent radical earlier her July 2020 arrest.
Ad
Asked by Assistant U.S. Attorney Maurene Comey wherever Maxwell stood successful the hierarchy of Epstein's world, Visoski said Maxwell “was the Number 2.” He added that “Epstein was the large Number 1.”
The grounds supports what Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Pomerantz told jurors successful her opening connection Monday erstwhile she said Epstein and Maxwell were “partners successful crime.”
Pomerantz said Maxwell recruited and groomed girls for Epstein to sexually maltreatment from 1994 to astatine slightest 2004.
Maxwell has pleaded not blameworthy and 1 of her lawyers said successful an opening connection Monday that she’s being made a scapegoat for Epstein, who killed himself successful his Manhattan jailhouse compartment astatine property 66 successful August 2019 arsenic helium awaited a enactment trafficking trial.
Visoski testified concisely connected Monday earlier opening Tuesday connected the witnesser stand.
Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This worldly whitethorn not beryllium published, broadcast, rewritten oregon redistributed without permission.