The horrific tales of Jeffrey Epstein’s 'paedophile' island

Financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein passed away in New York while he was awaiting trial in 2019. But what he left behind is a huge fortune and a variety of properties all around the world. The most well-known of such homes was located on Little St James, an island in the US Virgin Islands that belonged to Epstein’s Caribbean islands. After being embroiled in Ghislaine Maxwell’s sex trafficking trial for 20 years, the island, which was dubbed the “Paedophile Islands” by the locals who witnessed the vulgar acts, was sold and will soon be converted into a luxury resort, according to the New York Post. But what is the story behind the so-called paradise island? Let’s take a closer look. About the controversial islands Located in the US Virgin Islands, Little St James is a 75-acre island surrounded by coral reefs. It features protected inlets, forested groves, windswept slopes, and rugged cliffs. It is directly off the southeast coast of St. Thomas, one of the three major islands in the Caribbean archipelago, according to The Independent. At the height of the First World War, the US government bought the Virgins from Denmark to prevent them from being used as a German submarine base. Epstein possessed holdings in each of the three nearby isles. His private aircraft were stationed in St Thomas, with Little St James – purchased from venture capitalist Arch Cummin in 1998 for just under $8 million – being a short helicopter ride away. The $22.5 million purchase of the second property in Great St James was intended to keep Little St James safe from prying eyes. Little St James served as the focal point of his sexual actions. With a staff of around 70 people attending to every whim and required to maintain tight confidentiality, it possessed total privacy and control. He started by removing all of the natural vegetation in order to install palm trees. He then started a large construction and remodelling project in 2007. [caption id=“attachment_13577232” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Jeffrey Epstein, the jet-setting financier who killed himself in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. AP[/caption] He reportedly expanded his main compound more than doubled in size, blossoming into an extravagant residence complete with a desalination system and an outside patio connecting the master bedroom and swimming pool. According to The New York Post, the luxury house also included cottages, docks, utility buildings, a helipad, a tennis court, slipways, an enclosed lake or lagoon and various huts. The Independent reported these were all connected by palm-lined roads where golf buggies were used to transport guests between locations within an estimated five minutes. In 2016, the disgraced businessman also purchased Great St James, an adjacent island measuring 165 acres, by allegedly pretending that Dubai businessman Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, was the real buyer. “Haven for alleged sex trafficking” Before his 2008 arrest, Epstein would make two or three monthly trips to Little St James, staying for several days at a time. For many years, Epstein, who hung himself in a Manhattan jail cell, entertained a procession of well-known people at the spot that he had come into contact with. It was referred to as “the perfect hideaway and haven for trafficking young women and underage girls for sexual servitude, child abuse, and sexual assault” in a criminal complaint filed by the US Virgin Islands attorney general, the report suggests. According to the complaint, “Epstein and his associates could avoid detection of their illegal activity from Virgin Islands and federal law enforcement, and prevent these young women and underage girls from leaving freely and escaping the abuse.” Many women have come forward since his death to claim they were assaulted and trafficked to the islands. Up to 200 Epstein associates are anticipated to come out of hiding in January 2024 as a result of a judge’s order to unseal court records related to Virginia Giuffre’s lawsuit against Epstein’s partner Ghislaine Maxwell, who was given a 20-year prison sentence in 2022. Many of the documents have already been made public, but their names have been redacted. They will be open at any time starting on 1 January. US District Judge Loretta Preska decided in December 2023 that the names “John and Jane Does” should not be kept concealed for legal reasons. This has made it possible for the names of several well-known people — some of whom may have been visitors to the island — to be publicly associated with Epstein. Epstein, a businessman with extensive connections both domestically and overseas, was charged with the sexual assault of underage girls; however, his case was put on hold when he committed suicide in August 2019. Turning the island into a luxury resort According to Forbes, billionaire Stephen Deckoff — the founder of Black Diamond Capital Management — purchased the islands in May 2023 for $60 million. Great St James and Little St James, according to the site, have been available for purchase for over a year. While a large portion of the Little St James property will be renovated, Deckoff is not expected to demolish Epstein’s previous home. Developers intend to “convert” it into a luxury hotel instead. The island resort is scheduled to open in 2025, according to a report by The Post. In 2021, they were first put up for $125 million, with the majority of the sales going towards helping Epstein’s victims receive compensation. Deckoff has revealed to Forbes that there will be 25 rooms at the resort. The property is over 230 acres, divided into more than 70 acres in Little St. James and more than 160 acres in Great St. James. Situated near the popular tourist destination of St. Thomas, it already has many pools, a helipad, and guest cottages. “I very much look forward to working with the US Virgin Islands to make this dream a reality,” Deckoff had said after the deal was confirmed.