Financier Jeffrey Epstein’s private island in the Caribbean – dubbed ‘Paedophile Island’ – was a house of horrors where the billionaire allegedly raped and trafficked underage girls
Jeffrey Epstein’s private island, a seemingly idyllic paradise, was in reality a house of horrors filled with dark secrets, according to his accusers.
The 75-acre estate is officially known as Little Saint James, but locals chillingly dubbed the child sex offender’s Caribbean hideaway “Paedophile Island”. Before his death in 2019, the billionaire was accused of grooming and sexually abusing underage girls at the expansive property in the US Virgin Islands, flying them in on a private jet infamously known as the “Lolita Express”.
The now deserted island was bought by the well-connected financier in 1998 for $7.95million (about £5million at the time). Only reachable by private plane or boat, the island boasts a stone mansion, two guest houses, a swimming pool, a temple, a helipad, a sundial, and panoramic views of the pristine sea.
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When Epstein used it as his main residence, the island had a large staff, and he is known to have entertained many wealthy and influential guests. However, according to locals, it earned a reputation for wickedness, with allegations of child sexual abuse, human trafficking and orgies.
It’s alleged that Epstein continued to bring underage girls and young women to the island up until the months leading to his arrest in July 2019. By this point, he was a registered sex offender, having pleaded guilty in 2008 to a felony charge of solicitation of prostitution involving a minor in Florida.
He served 13 months of an 18-month sentence and resumed his extravagant lifestyle with high-profile associates after his release. The island estate, now believed to be worth more than £45million, was searched by the FBI following Epstein’s death in August 2019.
Sarah Ransome, a British woman who alleged she was a victim of Epstein, claimed she was raped up to three times a day during her months held captive on the island. She revealed that she was a 22-year-old budding fashion student in Manhattan when she first encountered Epstein in 2006.
Ms Ransome settled a lawsuit with Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell in 2018.
Chauntae Davies, 41, accused Epstein of repeatedly raping her and described him as a “monster” behind closed doors. She also claimed he boasted about his friendship with Prince Andrew.
Ms Davies alleged that she was a 21-year-old trainee massage therapist in Los Angeles when she treated Maxwell, the socialite daughter of the late disgraced media mogul Robert Maxwell, at the Four Seasons hotel in Beverly Hills. She claimed she was recruited by Ghislaine Maxwell and flown to Epstein’s residence in Palm Beach, Florida, where he performed a sex act on himself in her presence.
Staff at an airport in the US Virgin Islands told Vanity Fair in 2019 that they frequently saw Epstein accompanied by girls who seemed to be underage. One stated he’d see Epstein twice a month on average, adding: “There’d be girls that look like they could be in high school.
“They looked very young. They were always wearing college sweatshirts. It seemed like camouflage, that’s the best way to put it.
“Every time he landed or took off, it was always brought up. We’d always be joking, ‘How many kids are on board this time?'”.
Maxwell, 63, was transferred to the Federal Prison Camp Bryan in Texas in August after three and a half years in a federal prison after her conviction for aiding Epstein in his abuse of underage girls. She is currently serving a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking.