In effect, the U.S. Virgin Islands became "a government-sanctioned sanctuary" for wealthy men who paid Epstein "Substantial" sums of money to travel from New York to engage in commercial sex acts with women also traveling from that state, the amended suit alleges.
Epstein would then deposit the funds in his New York bank accounts, from which he paid the defendants in the USVI, it says.
The defendants - the V.I. government, former First Lady Cecile de Jongh, Delegate to Congress Stacey Plaskett, former Senators Celestino White and Carlton Dowe, former Attorney General Vincent Frazer, and former Governors Kenneth Mapp and John de Jongh - have argued in their motions to dismiss that none of them has ties to New York and had little to no interaction with Epstein in that state, let alone business dealings, according to court filings.
The amended complaint alleges it was "In order to advise and assist him in securing the USVI's cooperation as a safe harbor for his sex-trafficking ring." "Defendants conspired, facilitated, accepted and encouraged the abuse and sex trafficking of the NY victims at the behest and hands of Epstein, a New York based individual, and his New York clients to occur, continue to occur, and flourish in the USVI," the complaint alleges.
The suit singles out Cecile de Jongh - Epstein's office manager from 2000 to 2019 - as the conduit through which the others were recruited into the scheme, listing for example her efforts to help Epstein influence sex offender legislation that was before the V.I. Legislature when Frazer was attorney general, or her suggestion that he pay White a monthly retainer for his support, or to help Dowe's bid to become head of the V.I. Port Authority.
"Cecile de Jongh purposely directed and coordinated the payments to Defendants or their designees from Epstein's New York bank accounts to her and other Defendants," the suit alleges.
"The individual Defendants through emails and calls to individuals in New York, solicited and enticed Epstein and his co-conspirators and wealthy clients to bring business and investment income from New York to the USVI by promising tax breaks, unfettered access to women for purpose of commercial sex acts, tax incentives, privacy and freedom from investigation and or supervision by any and all government agencies, including federal agencies, through their promised coercion and influence over anyone who could interfere with the sex trafficking venture," it says.
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