Unpublished photos of the private island in the Caribbean where Jeffrey Epstein committed his sex crimes

A blackboard with written words in a living room with four armchairs. — photo caption, In the living room, you can see a blackboard with words written on it.

- author, Bernd Debusmann Jr
- Author title, BBC correspondent in the White House
- author, Drafting
- Author title, BBC News Brazil
December 4, 2025

Democratic lawmakers from the US House of Representatives Oversight Committee released photos and videos on Wednesday showing what one of the private islands of Jeffrey Epstein, the billionaire convicted sex offender who was found dead in prison in 2019, looks like.

The photos, recorded by the authorities of the US Virgin Islands, a Caribbean archipelago of the United States, show exhibition halls, bathrooms, massage rooms and a landline with names written on speed dial buttons.

There is also a blackboard on which words such as “power” and “deception” are written (which can mean fraud, farce, or deceit).

The swimming pool at Epstein's house. — photo caption, Epstein owned two islands. In one of them, Little St. James, was his palace.

The image of words written on a whiteboard - appearing to form a mind map - inside an office on Epstein's island sparks speculation about which words were illegible and which were erased, and what the message meant. Among the visible and readable words: "power" (can), "disappointment" (deception), "Mirror in the face" (mirror in the face), "time" (time), "thinker" (thinker), "political" (political), "music" (music), ""Al-Haqiqah” (The Truth) and "He appears!" (He appears!). — photo caption, The image of words written on a whiteboard – appearing to form a mind map – inside an office on Epstein’s island estate leads to speculation about what words were illegible, what words were erased, and what the message meant.

Among the videos released is a shaky recording captured on a handheld camera, filmed on Epstein’s island, that begins with a sea view, before the person holding the camera walks through the bush to the pool area, which features landmarks such as bronze statues.

Another video gives a short tour of a room on Epstein’s island. In a 16-second clip, the video begins in a small private bathroom, before the camera moves around the room.

The room is tidy and reminiscent of a hotel room. There is a colorful rug on the floor and a white wardrobe, as well as a bed, desk and chairs.

A bedroom in Epstein's house with a four-poster bed, armchair and desk. — photo caption, One of the bedrooms in Epstein’s house is shown in the photos.

Another photo shows a sign on Epstein’s property warning that no entry is permitted in the area.

A sign indicating that the permissible limit has not been exceeded. — photo caption, The sign indicates that people should not exceed the permissible limit.

In a statement, the committee’s Democratic leader, Robert Garcia, said the materials together form a “disturbing portrait” of Epstein’s world and are being released “to ensure public transparency and help piece together the full picture of Epstein’s horrific crimes.”

On November 18, the Oversight Committee sent a request to the Attorney General of the US Virgin Islands requesting information about investigations related to Jeffrey Epstein and his partner Ghislaine Maxwell, who is imprisoned in the United States.

Robert Garcia’s statement also stated that the committee received documents from JP Morgan and Deutsche Bank, and that they “intend to disclose the files to the public after analyzing them in the coming days.”

“We will not stop fighting until we ensure justice for survivors,” Garcia said.

“It is time for President Trump to disclose all the files now.”

Some contacts are not visible, but you can see contact numbers such as "New York office", "Darren Off" and "Darren Seal". — photo caption, Epstein’s phone had speed dial buttons. Some contacts are not visible, but you can see contact numbers such as “NY Office,” “Darren Off,” and “Darren Cell.”

On November 20, President Donald Trump signed a bill ordering the release of government files related to Epstein, a significant turning point in a months-long dispute over those documents.

However, Wednesday’s revelation has nothing to do with this bill.

For months, Trump has called requests to unseal documents a Democratic-driven “hoax” to distract from his accomplishments.

A drawing showing a map of the US Virgin Islands where Epstein had a mansion.

According to Anthony Zurcher, a BBC correspondent in the US, there does not appear to be anything politically explosive in the newly released photos and videos from Epstein’s island.

“The few details that are there — the scribbled writing on the whiteboard and some names on the phone’s speed dial — are obscure or hidden,” Zurcher says.

“Democrats in Congress, who made the files public, may be hoping that this new revelation will keep the Epstein case in the news and put pressure on the Trump administration to follow federal law and release everything that constitutes the ‘Epstein files’ in its possession.”

Wednesday’s material falls far short of the more dramatic details that emerged from thousands of Epstein emails released last month.

Some of those messages mention Trump’s name. The committee also published an alleged letter from Trump to Epstein, including a drawing of a woman’s body.

Who was Epstein?

Epstein and Trump. — photo caption, The friendship between Trump and Epstein, which ended in the 2000s, is a topic of debate in the United States.

Before he became the central figure in a high-profile sex trafficking case, Jeffrey Epstein was a mathematics professor and influential financier in New York.

Courting the rich and famous with private jets and lavish parties in the 1980s, Epstein’s business grew to manage hundreds of millions of dollars in client assets.

Among the celebrities he was associated with were then-US President Donald Trump, former President Bill Clinton, and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly Prince Andrew.

“I’ve known Jeff for 15 years,” Trump told New York magazine in 2002. “He’s a great guy.”

In 2005, the parents of a 14-year-old girl reported to Florida police that Epstein had sexually assaulted their daughter at his Palm Beach home. He avoided federal charges and was instead sentenced to 18 months in prison.

As of 2008, Epstein is listed at Level III on the New York State sex offender registry. It was a lifetime designation that meant a high risk of recidivism.

Map of Manhattan with a photo of Epstein's former home.

In July 2019, he was arrested in New York on sex trafficking charges, and accused of running a “vast network” of underage girls for sexual exploitation.

After being denied bail, he was detained at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York, where he was found dead in his cell months later.

Epstein Island

Epstein owned two islands, Little St. James (the smaller) and Great St. James (the larger).

Little St. James is a small Caribbean island located southwest of St. Thomas, one of the main islands of the US Virgin Islands.

It has been the private property of the financier for more than 25 years, during which time he built an extensive estate of 365 thousand square meters.

The pictures posted are of this property.

US Virgin Islands Attorney General Denise George told CBS News, the BBC’s US partner, that Epstein used the island to hide his criminal activities.

George sued Epstein’s estate after his death, alleging in his complaint that air traffic controllers and airport employees saw Epstein on the island with girls who appeared to be teenagers.

“Remember, he owns an entire island,” he said. “So it was not a situation where a girl or young woman could escape and run to the nearest police station.”

An alleged victim, who spoke to CBS anonymously, claimed that Epstein raped her and held her captive on the island.

She added: “He also locked me in his room on the island, where he had a gun tied to the bed frame. I couldn’t get out.” “The only way to get off the island was by helicopter or boat.”

In 2022, Little St. James is for sale, and a lawyer for Epstein’s heirs confirmed to the BBC that part of the funds raised will be used to settle pending lawsuits.