REUTERS/Marco Bello
- As Business Insider previously reported, Jeffrey Epstein’s private island in the Caribbean is becoming a tourist attraction.
- Up until his arrest in July, it was believed to be his primary residence.
- The island boasts peculiar decorations, including a temple-like structure and life-size plastic cows.
- Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.
Jeffrey Epstein’s private island in the Caribbean — now dubbed “Pedophile Island” and “Orgy Island” by locals, according to the Los Angeles Times— has gained worldwide media attention for its troubling ties to the sexual-abuse allegations against him.
According to court filings, Epstein, a convicted sex offender, was accused of trafficking underage girls to the island for sex. Up until his arrest in July 2019, the private island was considered his primary residence.
Since Epstein’s July arrest and subsequent death by apparent suicide on August 10, the island has become a tourist attraction, Business Insider previously reported.
“I’ll admit it’s effed up, but I want to see where Satan lived,” one St. Thomas visitor told Fox News.
John Stewart, the owner of a boat-tour agency on St. Thomas, also told reporters that, over the past few weeks, he has seen a large increase in the number of catamarans sailing by Epstein’s island.
“No one used to pay attention to it,” Stewart told the Los Angeles Times. Now, he says, in light of Epstein’s media attention, there are a lot more tourists.
But even from that distant vantage point, there is a lot to be seen — including a temple-like structure and life-size plastic cows.
Keep reading for a closer look at “Orgy Island.”
Little St. James sits off the coast of St. Thomas in the Caribbean. To put its location into perspective, the Caribbean is home to many popular islands including Aruba, Barbados, and Jamaica.
Jeffrey Epstein purchased Little St. James — a roughly 75-acre private island in the Virgin Islands — in 1998 for $7.95 million.
Reuters/Marco Bello
According to court filings, Epstein was accused of trafficking underage girls to Little St. James for sex. Locals have dubbed it “Pedophile Island” and “Orgy Island.”
Reuters/Marco Bello
Since news of Epstein’s arrest and apparent suicide broke in July and August, respectively, there has been an uptick in curious visitors sailing by the island, Business Insider previously reported.
Reuters/Marco Bello
“I’ll admit it’s effed up, but I want to see where Satan lived,” a St. Thomas visitor told Fox News.
Reuters/Marco Bello
But what exactly are they looking at?
REUTERS/Marco Bello
Epstein was no stranger to peculiar decorations — Business Insider previously reported on the bizarre details people have reported finding in his New York City mansion — and the visuals of his private island are further evidence of that.
REUTERS/Marco Bello
As of a 2008 New York Times report, the island had a staff of 70 and five buildings: a villa-style compound, a library, a cinema, a detached bathhouse, and cabanas. There was even a “flamingo-stocked lagoon.”
Reuters/Marco Bello
New York Magazine also reported that when Epstein purchased Little St. James, he placed one flag on each end of the island.
A cream-colored mansion with a turquoise roof can be seen from the water. It is surrounded by a variety of structures, including what was reportedly the maids’ quarters.
REUTERS/Marco Bello
The island also has a temple structure with some strange features. One of those features, Business Insider previously reported, is a door that appears to be designed to keep people inside.
At the time of Epstein’s arrest in July, there were still more structures under construction, as can be seen in photos of the island.
Reuters/Marco Bello
According to Fox News, life-size plastic cows were moved to different spots by the island’s staff on a daily basis.
REUTERS/Marco Bello
But Epstein’s fascination with animal decor didn’t end with plastic cows. Below are two parrot statues next to stairs that lead down to the beach.
REUTERS/Marco Bello
There is also a large solar clock next to the beach.
REUTERS/Marco Bello
As Business Insider previously reported, on Monday, August 12 — just two days after Epstein was found dead in a Manhattan jail cell — the FBI raided the island. Over a dozen drone videos of the raid were posted by a YouTube account named “Rusty Shackleford.” One video revealed a quick glimpse into the temple-like structure, showing what appeared to be an overturned bed inside.
Reuters
Along with Little St. James, Epstein also owns the private island next to it, Great St. James. This second island spans 165 acres and was purchased by Epstein in 2016 for a reported $18 million.
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