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Lawyers for Ghislaine Maxwell, who was convicted of helping the late Jeffrey Epstein sexually abuse teenage girls, are calling for a jail sentence far below the recommended term of 20 years.

In a filing, her team argue she should not be made a scapegoat for Epstein.

They also cite Maxwell's abusive upbringing and alleged mistreatment in prison as reasons for leniency.

Maxwell was found guilty on several charges last year including the most serious - sex trafficking a minor.

But in the filing, her lawyers argue that the "appropriate sentence in this case is one that is well below the advisory guideline range".

They say that Epstein was the "mastermind" behind the sex trafficking ring the pair ran and that Maxwell should not be sentenced "as if she were a proxy for Epstein simply because Epstein is no longer here".

"Ms Maxwell cannot and should not bear all the punishment for which Epstein should have been held responsible," the lawyers say.

Her legal team also say alleged harsh treatment of Maxwell in prison should be taken into account. She has been in jail since her arrest in July 2020.

Maxwell, they say, has faced conditions "far more onerous and punitive than any experienced by a typical pretrial detainee" including long periods of isolation, frequent physical searches and "meager, stale, often rancid" food.

Her lawyers also say Maxwell was the target of a "credible" death threat from another inmate.

"On information and belief, one of the female inmates in Ms. Maxwell's housing unit told at least three other inmates that she had been offered money to murder Ms. Maxwell and that she planned to strangle her in her sleep."

Ultimately it will be for a judge later this month to decide on Maxwell's sentence. Prosecutors will also submit sentencing recommendations before then.

During her trial the court heard testimony from four women who portrayed Maxwell as a central figure in Epstein's abuses.