Washington: Ghislaine Maxwell, the convicted associate of sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, revealed she “slept” with him just once thinking that they were soon going to start dating. In her interview with the US Depart­ment of Justice, she recalled: “I slept with him one time and thought, ‘we’re going to be dating.’" “That’s the world I came from,” she said.

Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche conducted the interview last month in Florida, during which Maxw­ell described how she belie­v­ed their relationship was hea­ding towards roman­ce, only to find herself increasingly entangled in Epstein’s affairs.

Now a federal prisoner, she recounted that in 1991 she was introduced to Epstein, who, at the time, was “looking for a wife”. It happened soon after she relocated to New York, following the breakup of her engagement. “I met him at his offices on Madison Garden (sic). And I think the most memorable thing I can think about is that he was wearing a tie, which he didn’t often do.”

Maxwell said Epstein asked her to help him find a new apartment, which she arranged, while she herself moved into a smaller flat. At that point, she described Epstein as her “lifeline." Over time, Maxwell said, she began to see herself as the “general manager” of the convicted paedophile’s property empire, while also becoming involved in his private life, according to audio tapes and transcripts released on Friday.

Between 1992 and 1996, their professional and personal lives grew intertwined. They travelled together, and while they often shared a bed, Maxwell said they seldom had intercourse. “Epstein told me he had a heart condition, which meant he didn’t have intercourse a lot, which suited me fine, as I actually do have a medical condition which precludes me from having a lot of intercourse,” she said. “Epstein liked other forms of sexual activities,” she added. Maxwell said she join­ed his payroll, starting with an $25,000 a year, rising to $250,000 as she assumed responsibility for managing his multi-million-dollar assets.

Maxwell claimed their sexual relationship began to fade after 1999. She considered 9/11 the point at which she realised their romance had ended. “It was a scary time if you were in New York. He was on 71st Street, I was on 65th Street at my house. He would not come see me. Then I knew if you are not going to be there for so­meone on 9/11, you are never going to be there. For me, that was the line’s end,” she said. Maxwell said she did not witness any inappropriate conduct by Donald Trump or former President Bill Clinton.