There were allegations against Epstein well before then though.
ETA the Wiki page is quite explanatory.
en.m.wikipedia.org
Accounts differ on when Maxwell first met American financier
Jeffrey Epstein. According to Epstein's former business partner,
Steven Hoffenberg, Robert Maxwell introduced his daughter to Epstein in the late 1980s.
[41] The Times reported that Maxwell met Epstein in the early 1990s at a New York party following "a difficult break-up with Count
Gianfranco Cicogna Mozzoni" (1962–2012) of the
CIGA Hotels clan.
[42]
Maxwell had a romantic relationship with Epstein for several years in the early 1990s and remained closely associated with him for decades.
[14][40][43] The nature of their relationship remains unclear. In a 2009 deposition, several of Epstein's household employees testified that Epstein referred to her as his "main girlfriend" who also hired, fired, and supervised his staff, starting around 1992.
[44] She has also been referred to as the "Lady of the House" by Epstein's staff and as his "aggressive assistant".
[45] In a 2003
Vanity Fair profile on Epstein, author
Vicky Ward said Epstein referred to Maxwell as "my best friend".
[46] Ward also observed that Maxwell seemed "to organize much of his life".
[46]
Politico reported that Maxwell and Epstein had friendships with several prominent individuals in elite circles of politics, academia, business and law, including former Presidents
Donald Trump and
Bill Clinton, attorney
Alan Dershowitz, and
Prince Andrew, Duke of York.
[47]
2006 mugshot of Epstein
Maxwell is known for her longstanding friendship
[48] with Prince Andrew, and for having escorted him to a "hookers and pimps" social function in New York.
[49] She introduced Epstein to Prince Andrew, and the three often socialised together.
[50] In 2000, Maxwell and Epstein attended a party thrown by Prince Andrew at the Queen's
Sandringham House estate in
Norfolk, England, reportedly for Maxwell's 39th birthday.
[51] In a
November 2019 interview with the BBC, Prince Andrew confirmed that Maxwell and Epstein had attended an event at his invitation, but he denied that it was anything more than a "straightforward shooting weekend".
[52]
In 1995, Epstein renamed one of his companies the Ghislaine Corporation; based in
Palm Beach, Florida, the company was dissolved in 1998.
[44] As a trained helicopter pilot, Maxwell also transported Epstein to his private Caribbean island.
[53][3]
In 2008, Epstein was convicted of soliciting a minor for prostitution and served 13 months of an 18-month jail sentence. Following Epstein's release, although Maxwell continued to attend prominent social functions, she and Epstein were no longer seen together publicly.[5]
By late 2015, Maxwell had largely retreated from attending social functions.
[5][54]
www.nbcnewyork.com
I was afraid everyone was going to be in the dark during the whole trial!!!!!!