Prince Andrew's legal team are said to be locked in emergency talks last night after pal Ghislaine Maxwell was convicted for aiding Jeffrey Epstein to sexually abuse girls.
The British socialite was found guilty on five counts on procuring, grooming, and tracking girls for sex for Epstein to abuse and faces 65 years in jail.
The Mirror reports the trial verdict has sparked fear in the Duke of York's lawyers as proof in a criminal case is needed to be higher than that in a civil case, which Andrew is facing.
Virginia Giuffre has accused the prince of sexual assault when she was 17 in London, which he has vehemently denied.
In her lawsuit, she claims she was sex trafficked to Andrew on three occasions by Epstein.
A legal source claimed to The Mirror his legal team wanted to seize victim 'Carolyn''s testimony as "they believe she holds a smoking gun to any possible role Virginia played in Epstein's pyramid scheme of abuse."
'Carolyn' told jurors at Maxwell's trial that Giuffre recruited her for sex offender Epstein, not Maxwell.
After 60-year-old Maxwell was convicted on Wednesday, it's reported she could start 'naming names' in an attempt to cut down the lengthy prison sentence she faces.
A legal source claimed to The Mail on Sunday a guilty verdict could spell trouble for Prince Andrew.
“This could be bad news for Prince Andrew and other high-profile men who hung out with Ghislaine and Jeffrey Epstein," the source said.
“It is possible she will begin to co-operate and tell what she knows in an attempt to lessen her jail term.
“We know that prosecutors are looking at other co-conspirators in connection with Jeffrey Epstein’s child sex ring.
“Ghislaine undoubtedly possesses information which could assist prosecutors in other cases. If she decides to co-operate, her testimony could be devastating.
“She was Epstein’s right-hand woman for years, imagine what she knows?”
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Since hiring Hollywood lawyer Brettler onto his team, the 61-year-old Duke has taken a more 'aggressive' approach to have Giuffre's case against him dismissed.
Giuffre has used New York's Child Victims Act (CVA) that allowed those abused to sue their attackers.
She is pursuing the Duke for unspecified damages, alleging he sexually abused her on three separate occasions in 2001 when she was 17.
Giuffre claims she was trafficked to London, where she was forced to sleep with the Duke while she was a 'teen sex slave' of his then friend, Epstein.
Andrew's lawyers have argued as Giuffre lives in Australia, the US has no jurisdiction over the country or the UK.
They have also called the case "unintelligible" and deliberately vague.
Epstein, 66, committed suicide in August 2019 while in jail. He was arrested a month earlier and charged with child sex offences.
Judge Lewis Kaplan will hear arguments on the motion to dismiss Giuffre's case at a hearing on Tuesday (January 4).
Maxwell's family have released a statement declaring they have already begun the appeal process against her conviction.
They wrote on Twitter on Thursday morning: "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."
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