Jurors in Ghislaine Maxwell’s sex-trafficking trial asked the judge for highlighter pens, coloured sticky notes and a whiteboard, suggesting they were some way from reaching a verdict.

After a four-day Christmas break, the 12 members of the jury in the Manhattan federal court returned for the fourth day of deliberations, signalling they still had plenty still to work through.

On Monday morning, they also requested the definition of the word “enticement” and copies of testimony given by one of the fourth accuser’s ex-boyfriends, as well as that of a Florida police officer.

Ms Maxwell marked her 60th birthday on Christmas Day in the Brooklyn Detention Center jail. Wearing a beige sweater and black trousers, she appeared relaxed, hugging each of her lawyers before taking her seat.

The requests do not indicate what jurors are thinking regarding Ms Maxwell’s guilt or innocence. However, it is a sign the jury has been paying close attention and are taking their time over the charges.

It could also be an indication that all 12 members are not in agreement.

Jurors appear to be focusing on first accuser in the case

The jurors appeared to be concentrating on “Jane”, the first accuser in the case, who is using a pseudonym.

The charge of enticement relates to Jane, who testified during the trial’s first week that she started having sexual contact with Ms Maxwell’s former partner, Jeffrey Epstein, in 1994 when she was 14, and that the British socialite participated in some of their encounters.

Jane said she travelled from her home in Palm Beach, Florida, to Epstein’s homes in New York and New Mexico, where she had sexual encounters with him. She said Ms Maxwell assisted with the travel arrangements.

Two of the six charges Ms Maxwell is facing relate to Jane alone, which may explain the jury’s attention to detail on her account.

During the prosecution’s two-week case, they called Jane’s former boyfriend, “Matt”, who appeared to corroborate Jane’s account of being abused in the mid-1990s. Both Matt and Jane are actors in a popular US soap opera and met on set. On Monday, the jury asked to see his transcript.

They also requested the testimony of Gregory Parkinson, a retired police officer, who spoke to the court about an October 2005 search of Epstein’s house and its findings.

During his testimony, on December 3, Ms Parkinson walked jurors through a video of this search and answered questions about still images presented on screen.

During its first full day of deliberations last Tuesday, the jury requested transcripts of Jane’s testimony, as well as that of two other women who said Maxwell set them up for abuse as teenagers.

The jury, which has been deliberating since last week, already has asked to review the testimony of the four women, along with Juan Alessi, a former Epstein housekeeper.

They have given little hint of their overall progress on six charges, including a sex trafficking count that carries a potential penalty of up to 40 years in prison.