The private islands that were central to Jeffrey Epstein‘s trafficking of young women and underage girls will be turned into a resort.
American billionaire Stephen Deckoff bought Great St. James and Little St. James for $60 million, an amount less than half of the asking price. Deckoff is the founder of Black Diamond Capital Management. According to a press release, he wants to “develop a state-of-the-art, five-star, world-class luxury 25-room resort” on the island. It is planned to open as early as 2025.
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The two islands are located next to St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands. They were involved in the criminal cases against Epstein and his associate, Ghislaine Maxwell. Several young women said that they were taken to Little St. James and forced to perform sexual acts with Epstein and other men.
Epstein pled not guilty to sex trafficking and conspiracy allegations. He died of apparent suicide in August 2019. At the time, he was imprisoned in a New York City jail and awaiting trial.
Maxwell was also accused of child sex trafficking. She was found guilty and sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Epstein bought Little St. James for $8 million in 1998. It contains a large villa compound, a movie theater, a bathhouse and cabanas. He later purchased Great St. James for $20 million in 2016.
The U.S. Virgin Islands government will receive half of the money from the sale of Little St. James to fund support and counseling services for sexual abuse and human trafficking victims.
