Annie Farmer, now 42, who testified at Ghislaine Maxwell’s trial, telling the court about the abuse she suffered at the hands of Jeffrey Epstein and Maxwell as a teenager, released a statement following Maxwell’s jury conviction.

“I am so relieved and grateful that the jury recognized the pattern of predatory behaviour that Maxwell engaged in for years and found her guilty of these crimes.

“She has caused hurt to many more women than the few of us who had the chance to testify in the courtroom.

“I hope that this verdict brings solace to all who need it and demonstrates that no one is above the law. Even those with great power and privilege will be held accountable when they sexually abuse and exploit the young,” she wrote.

Gloria Allred, the lawyer who represents 20 of Jeffrey Epstein’s accusers told BBC Breakfast that Ghislaine Maxwell’s conviction sends a message to other would-be sexual predators.

She said: “This does send a message to other sex predators and those who would conspire to sex-traffic underage girls to use them, that this will be taken very seriously.

“Charges may be filed against you, you may be prosecuted and you may end up getting sentenced to prison for the rest of your life, as may be the case with Ms Maxwell.

“Beware and do not conspire with, or become a sexual predator yourself, because underage girls are very vulnerable.

“They are easy to take advantage of and it is taken very seriously when they are preyed upon by adults who do know better.”

Speaking on BBC Breakfast, Gloria Allred, a lawyer who represents 20 Jeffrey Epstein accusers said that we would have to “wait and see” whether Virginia Giuffre’s civil sexual assault case against the Duke of York ever makes it to trial.

She did, however, say that less proof would be required to succeed in a civil case in the US, as compared with a criminal case.

“To prove a criminal case, the burden of proof is beyond a reasonable doubt,” she said, but “only a preponderance of evidence must be shown in order for there to be the possibility of the defendant being held liable” in a civil case.”

“I anticipate many legal arguments on behalf of Prince Andrew, having to do with jurisdiction, the power of the court and other such issues – so we will have to wait and see if his case ever gets to trial or not.”

Ms Giuffre, 38, alleges that she was trafficked by Jeffrey Epstein and forced to have sex with Prince Andrew when she was 17 and legally a minor under US law. She is suing the royal in a civil case in the Southern District of New York.

Prince Andrew has categorically denied these accusations.

For more on the royal’s legal arguments challenging Ms Giuffre’s case, see below.

Alan Dershowitz, who was previously Jeffrey Epstein’s lawyer appeared in a controversial interview on the BBC last night.

He suggested that the guilty verdict in Ghislaine Maxwell’s trial “weakens the case against Prince Andrew”.

“This case does nothing at all to strengthen – in any way – the case against Prince Andrew. Indeed, it weakens the case against Prince Andrew considerably,” he said.

Watch below, via my colleague Oliver Browning.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Lisa Bloom, a lawyer representing eight of Jeffrey Epstein’s accusers said that she expects Ghislaine Maxwell to spend the rest of her life behind bars.

“I think she will spend the rest of her life in prison,” she said.

“She is 60 years old, she has been lucky to have 60 years of freedom, it is far too much. We hope that she never walks free again.”

Ms Bloom added that she had “compassion” for the Maxwell family, as “family members of people who do bad things also really suffer, and they want to believe the best about their family members”.

However, she said that the trial made clear that Maxwell was responsible for her actions.

“The trial showed she was no scapegoat – she wasn’t on trial for hanging around with Jeffrey Epstein, she was on trial for her own actions.”

A sentencing date has yet to be set.

Hours after leaving the US District Court House in the Southern District of New York, Ghislaine Maxwell’s siblings released a statement on Twitter stating that they had already begun an appeal process and adding that they believed she would “ultimately be vindicated”.

“We believe firmly in our sister’s innocence - we are very disappointed with the verdict. We have already started the appeal tonight and we believe that she will ultimately be vindicated,” they wrote.

Lisa Bloom, who represents a number of Ghislaine Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein’s accusers has said that she does not see “any chance” of Maxwell’s legal team successfully appealing the verdict.

Ms Bloom spoke to BBC Breakfast earlier this morning. She said: “For Ghislaine Maxwell, in her criminal case, it’s not over. Her team can talk bravely about an appeal, I don’t see any chance of them winning that because the judge’s rulings were all very correct and followed the law, and that would have to be the basis of an appeal.

“But the defence had asked to sever – that is, split off – some of the other charges against Ghislaine Maxwell for perjury and that was granted, so now there will be a second trial against her for for perjury for false statements that she made under oath in a prior civil case. I expect that trial to take place in 2022 and I don’t think her chances look too good in that case either.”

Donald Trump, who was previously seen with sex offenders Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, has so far not reacted to the British socialite’s conviction on Wednesday.

The former US president has been criticised in the past for his personal ties with the duo, and had issued multiple comments last year.

While these seem to be bubbling back up on social media in the last 24 hours, Mr Trump has maintained an eerie silence and refrained from saying anything now.

In July 2020, Mr Trump — then the US president — had shared warm words for Maxwell and expressed concern.

“I’ve met her numerous times over the years, especially since I lived in Palm Beach, and I guess they lived in Palm Beach,” he had said. “But I wish her well, whatever it is.”

Pictures from the late 1990s and early 2000s show that Mr Trump shared social spaces with the high-profile community in New York and Florida. This was also the period when Epstein and Maxwell indulged in wide-ranging sexual abuse of teenage girls.

Mr Trump’s affiliation with the duo also came under public scrutiny after charges of sexual exploitation by Epstein and Maxwell were filed.

The Independent's Josh Marcus curates details on this here

Reactions from the accusers of Ghislaine Maxwell trickled in moments after the verdict pronouncing her guilty was announced on Wednesday.

One of the first reactions came from Virginia Giuffre, who has publicly accused Maxwell and disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein of abusing her. She said her heart went out to the other accusers.

“My soul yearned for justice for years and today the jury gave me just that. I will remember this day always. Having lived with the horrors of Maxwell’s abuse, my heart goes out to the many other girls and young women who suffered at her hands and whose lives she destroyed,” she said in a tweet.

US attorney for the southern district of New York Damian Williams said justice has been done. The trial was held in Mr Williams’s district.

“A unanimous jury has found Ghislaine Maxwell guilty of one of the worst crimes imaginable – facilitating and participating in the sexual abuse of children,” the attorney said after the verdict was announced.

He added: “Crimes that she committed with her long-time partner and co-conspirator, Jeffrey Epstein. The road to justice has been far too long. But, today, justice has been done.”

You can read more reactions in Nathan Place’s report here

In what could lead to imprisonment for the rest of her life, the verdict pronouncing Ghislaine Maxwell guilty of sex trafficking and abuse charges, was read out in the court on Wednesday.

Hundreds had teemed up outside the court in New York as the lengthy proceedings of the trial came to a conclusion after weeks of hearings and five days of deliberations.

While the verdict was being read out, Maxwell appeared stoic while wearing a black mask.

She was seen pouring herself some water as one of her attorneys patted her back afterwards.

As she was led out from the courtroom, she glanced at her siblings, who appeared throughout the court proceedings and were seen outside court every day.

Maxwell was also seen with her hands folded as the jury filed out.

In a departure from the past, Maxwell did not hug her lawyers or say anything to them on her way out. In

the last few weeks during the trial, she was seen displaying physical affection with her team.

Her lawyers had countered the charges against her by saying she was being scapegoated for the alleged doings of disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein as he was no longer around.