Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

The US Virgin Islands Wants To Seize Jeffrey Epstein’s Millions After He Allegedly Abused Underage Girls On His Private Island

In a new suit filed against Epstein's estate, the government is seeking Little St. James and Great St. James, two islands owned by the financier, as well as millions in other assets.

The US Virgin Islands is seeking to seize Jeffrey Epstein's private islands and other assets in a new lawsuit that alleges the disgraced financier trafficked, sexually assaulted, and held captive young women and girls at his properties in the Caribbean at an even larger scale than previously known.

Virgin Islands Attorney General Denise George filed a civil complaint Wednesday against his estate; Epstein killed himself last year in jail while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges. Before he died, his will was filed in the Virgin Islands. The complaint names other shell companies associated with Epstein's activities in the US territory as defendants.

The suit alleges Epstein carried out and concealed an expansive sex trafficking operation on the secluded private island of Little St. James, where he and his associates could avoid detection and prevent the escape of young women and girls they lured with money and promises of employment.

Locals nicknamed Little St. James "Pedophile Island" because of Epstein's activities, Bloomberg reported.

According to the complaint, flight logs show that between 2001 and 2019, Epstein transported girls and young women to the Virgin Islands and then took them by helicopter or another private vessel to Little St. James. There, they were forced to engage in sexual acts, the complaint said.

In one case, a 15-year-old girl attempted to escape by swimming off the island after being forced into sexual acts with Epstein and others. When members of a search party found her, they allegedly took her passport to hold her captive.

These actions continued until as recently as 2018, when air traffic controllers and other personnel reported seeing Epstein leave his plane with girls who appeared to be between the ages of 11 and 18, the complaint said.

"The conduct described in our complaint as we note betrays the deepest principles and values of the government and the people of the Virgin Islands," George said during a press conference Wednesday. "The Virgin Islands is not and will not be a safe haven for human trafficking or sexual exploitation."

As part of the complaint, the Virgin Islands is seeking to take over all assets used to carry out the alleged sex trafficking operation, including Little St. James and Great St. James, a second island Epstein acquired in 2016, as well as any money he and his companies obtained through the enterprise.

The territory's Criminally Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act allows the government to acquire assets, impose civil penalties, and seek damages from enterprises engaged in criminal activity. Under the act, it may also disperse the assets to victims.

In the complaint, the government asked the court to award "equitable relief" from any of Epstein's "ill-gotten gains" to "protect the rights of victims and innocent persons."

According to court documents, Epstein's estate in the Virgin Islands is valued at $577 million.

George, who began the investigation into Epstein's activities in the Virgin Islands soon after she took office last April, said the government's complaint was separate from claims that victims have already filed against the financier's estate.

"With this filing, the government is exercising its authority and responsibility to enforce its laws, protect the public safety, and to send a strong message to ensure redress for the victims of crime," she said.

An executor of Epstein's estate did not respond to BuzzFeed News' request for comment Wednesday. The executors have proposed the creation of a fund to compensate the women Epstein is accused of sexually abusing as a "voluntary, confidential, non-adversarial alternative to litigation."

But if George succeeds in her lawsuit, money could go to victims without requiring confidentiality or for them to give up their right to sue personally, she told the New York Times.

In 2008, Epstein pleaded guilty to a charge of soliciting prostitution, served 13 months in jail, and was required to register as a sex offender as part of a widely criticized plea deal with federal prosecutors.

In July, Epstein was arrested on new federal charges for running a sex trafficking operation in which he allegedly sexually abused dozens of underage girls, some as young as 14, in his New York and Florida homes between 2002 and 2005. He killed himself in August while being held on those charges in a Manhattan jail.

Wednesday's court filing offered more details on how Epstein managed to avoid scrutiny in the Virgin Islands, where he maintained a residence on Little St. James, which he bought in 1998.

According to the complaint, Epstein managed the alleged operation through "a deliberately complex web" of corporations, LLCs, foundations, and other entities. He used private planes, helicopters, boats, and automobiles to transport victims to and from his properties, the complaint said.

Although Epstein renewed his sex offender registration with the government of the Virgin Islands each year, officials sometimes had difficulty checking in at the financier's property.

At his last verification in July 2018, Epstein allegedly refused to permit Virgin Islands investigators and US marshals to enter Little St. James beyond its dock, claiming that the dock was his "front door."

George said the investigation into the alleged sex trafficking operation is ongoing.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
The Country That Got Too Rich? Public Spending Dominates Norway Election
EU Proposes Phasing Out Russian Oil and Gas by End of 2027 to End Energy Dependence
More Than 150,000 Followers for a Fictional Character: The New Influencers Are AI Creations
EU Prepares for War
Trump Threatens Retaliatory Tariffs After EU Imposes €2.95 Billion Fine on Google
Tesla Board Proposes Unprecedented One-Trillion-Dollar Performance Package for Elon Musk
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Trump Administration Advances Plans to Rebrand Pentagon as Department of War Instead of the Fake Term Department of Defense
Big Tech Executives Laud Trump at White House Dinner, Unveil Massive U.S. Investments
Tether Expands into Gold Sector with Profit-Driven Diversification
‘Looks Like a Wig’: Online Users Express Concern Over Kate Middleton
Florida’s Vaccine Revolution: DeSantis Declares War on Mandates
Trump’s New War – and the ‘Drug Tyrant’ Fearing Invasion: ‘1,200 Missiles Aimed at Us’
"The Situation Has Never Been This Bad": The Fall of PepsiCo
At the Parade in China: Laser Weapons, 'Eagle Strike,' and a Missile Capable of 'Striking Anywhere in the World'
The Fashion Designer Who Became an Italian Symbol: Giorgio Armani Has Died at 91
Putin Celebrates ‘Unprecedentedly High’ Ties with China as Gazprom Seals Power of Siberia-2 Deal
China Unveils New Weapons in Grand Military Parade as Xi Hosts Putin and Kim
Rapper Cardi B Cleared of Liability in Los Angeles Civil Assault Trial
Google Avoids Break-Up in U.S. Antitrust Case as Stocks Rise
Couple celebrates 80th wedding anniversary at assisted living facility in Lancaster
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
The White House on LinkedIn Has Changed Their Profile Picture to Donald Trump
"Insulted the Prophet Muhammad": Woman Burned Alive by Angry Mob in Niger State, Nigeria
Trump Responds to Death Rumors – Announces 'Missile City'
Druzhba Pipeline Incident Sparks Geopolitical Tensions
Cost of Opposition Leader Péter Magyar's Economic Plan Revealed
Germany in Turmoil: Ukrainian Teenage Girl Pushed to Death by Illegal Iraqi Migrant
United Krack down on human rights: Graham Linehan Arrested at Heathrow Over Three X Posts, Hospitalised, Released on Bail with Posting Ban
Asian and Middle Eastern Investors Avoid US Markets
Ray Dalio Warns of US Shift to Autocracy
Eurozone Inflation Rises to 2.1% in August
Russia and China Sign New Gas Pipeline Deal
Von der Leyen's Plane Hit by Suspected Russian GPS Interference in an Incident Believed to Be Caused by Russia or by Pro-Peace or by Anti-Corruption European Activists
China's Robotics Industry Fuels Export Surge
Suntory Chairman Resigns After Police Probe
Gold Price Hits New All-Time Record
UK Fintechs Explore Buying US Banks
Greece Suspends 5% of Schools as Birth Rate Drops
Apollo to Launch $5 Billion Sports Investment Vehicle
Bolsonaro Trial Nears Close Amid US-Brazil Tension
European Banks Push for Lower Cross-Border Barriers
Poland's Offshore Wind Sector Attracts Investors
×