Little Saint James is a private island in the U.S. Virgin Islands that Jeffrey Epstein acquired in the 1990s as part of his move to operate his business from St. Thomas[13]. The island served as Epstein's primary residence for much of the period during which the abuse documented in the case occurred, and it became one of the most widely recognised symbols of his network.
Epstein expressed interest in acquiring the island from its then-owner, Arch Cummin, in 1997, having been a frequent visitor to the area beforehand[6 (p. 134)]. He later purchased a second adjacent island in the same vicinity, Great St. James[13].
Locals in the Virgin Islands referred to Epstein's private jet as the "Lolita Express," a reference to Vladimir Nabokov's 1955 novel, whose antihero obsessively pursues very young girls[13]. The jet's passenger logs, released during proceedings in USA v. Maxwell, record flights to and from the islands by a number of prominent individuals[10].
Inside the properties, Epstein installed foam mattress floors so that girls could sleep beside his bed[6 (p. 133)]. Reporting indicates he also used hidden cameras at his residences to record sexual acts involving wealthy associates, believed by investigators to be for blackmail purposes[13].
Following Epstein's death in August 2019 and the federal proceedings against Ghislaine Maxwell, both Little Saint James and Great Saint James were listed for sale at a combined asking price of $125 million[12].