The Mystery Surrounding Jeffrey Epsteins Private Island

(SF Gate) Jonathan Levin Greg Farrell and Tom Metcalf July 12 2019 4:04 am From the harbor on St. Thomas the boat skims eastward across the crystalline Caribbean takes a turn and there it is: the palm-fringed paradise that was the private redoubt of Jeffrey Epstein. An American flag on a towering pole flutters in the breeze. A blue-and-white building that resembles a temple sits atop one of the hills. The pool and cabanas are visible in the distance. Theres no traffic on the winding dirt roads no people on the dock or the beach. Its quiet now on the island of Little St. James. Epstein dubbed it Little St. Jeffs. Locals have other names for it: Pedophile Island and Orgy Island. This is where Epstein - convicted of sex crimes a decade ago in Florida and now charged in New York with trafficking girls as young as 14 - repaired his escape from the toil of cultivating the rich and powerful. Over the years the 66-year-old crossed paths with former and future presidents as well as a Whos Who of wealthy business figures and celebrities. On St. Thomas he has been a subject of lurid speculation for as long as anyone can remember. Tourists still take boats out to get a glimpse of the island where according to a former employee Epstein hosted young women who flew into St. Thomas with him and were ferried over in groups aboard a 38-foot vessel called the Lady Ghislaine apparently named for his friend Ghislaine Maxwell.