You can take a trip around Little St. James, the island formerly owned by the convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, with holidaymakers told ‘the snorkelling is great’
Tourists are being taken on sightseeing trips around Epstein Island, where the twisted financier abused his teenage victims.
The private island of Little Saint James, in the United States Virgin Islands, was owned by the convicted sex offender from 1998 until his death in 2019. The pervert bought it in 1998, with the escape becoming known as “Paedophile Island” after being used by the convicted sex offender as a Caribbean retreat.
The 75-acre land has since been the focus on worldwide attention when he faced allegations that he exploited and assaulted children in his vast holiday home. Visitors are said to have arrived there on Epstein’s private jet, notoriously known as the “Lolita Express”.
The island has sat abandoned since the disgraced financier died in prison. Only accessible by plane or boat, Little Saint James is home to two guest lodges, a swimming pool, a temple, a helipad, a sundial, and sweeping vistas of the crystal-clear waters.
Billionaire Steven Deckoff reportedly purchased the island two years ago and planned to transform it into a luxury retreat. Although it is said to have remained largely untouched since Epstein’s ownership.
Plans have been delayed to reopen Epstein Island as a tourist destination, but if you’ve ever wanted to get up close, look no further than TripAdvisor, where one adventurous traveller has asked for advice about visiting Little St. James. “Do any boat charters leave from Red Hook to tour the waters around Epstein’s island? Is there any decent snorkeling/diving in the area or is it restricted?” asked the would-be-tourist.
Someone replied: “Many charters go to Little St James/ Christmas Cove and the snorkelling is good.” “Thanks guys!” exclaimed the traveller. “Coming in December!” By the looks of it, budding adventurers can go for a dip in the sea surrounding the infamous island while chowing down on a pizza provided by a local eatery.
“When Pizza Pi is closed, Ocean Surfari provides pizza from either Senor Frogs in Red Hook or Ronnie’s on St John. People rave about Pizza Pi, so I will go in November,” wrote another helpful traveller on TripAdvisor.
US officials dropped another three million “Epstein files” last week. The newly-released court files also reveal communications between Epstein and high-profile figures including royals, tech billionaires and politicians.
Among the shocking revelations, emails from 2010 reveal that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor (formerly known as Prince Andrew) extended an invitation to Jeffrey Epstein for a private dinner at Buckingham Palace. Further correspondence suggests Epstein attempted to introduce him to a “trustworthy” 26-year-old Russian woman.
Tech tycoon Elon Musk is also named in the files, with 2013 emails showing he enquired about visiting Epstein’s infamous private island, Little Saint James. This comes despite Musk previously labelling Epstein a “creep” and denying ever setting foot on the island.
Peter Mandelson has been dragged further into the scandal as well, with emails revealing Epstein transferred £10,000 to Mandelson’s partner for an osteopathy course in 2009. Mandelson has since expressed “deep regret” over his connections with the disgraced financier.
Being named in the papers does not suggest any wrongdoing, as high-profile figures consistently deny the accusations against them.
