A YouTuber who illegally entered Little Saint James claims he was hogtied, blindfolded, and locked inside what he described as a “dungeon” after being caught by security on the notorious island once owned by convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Benjamin Owen, a 44-year-old man from Memphis, Tennessee, said he traveled to the island on April 25 alongside friend Ryan Dalton and a third unidentified individual as part of what he described as an effort to “raise awareness” about human trafficking and investigate conspiracy theories surrounding Epstein.
Owen, who posts online content about Epstein and conspiracy theories connected to the disgraced financier, claimed the group entered the island and eventually approached a structure often referred to online as “the temple.”
That is when, according to Owen, island personnel spotted them.
Dalton and the third individual allegedly escaped by running down cliffs and swimming back to their boat, but Owen said he could not keep up due to breathing issues and chose to surrender instead.
Owen claimed multiple individuals then rushed toward him, screaming and restraining him without warning.
According to his account, his hands were tied behind his back before he was transported to a dock, zip tied and eventually brought to a cement room built into a hillside.
“The roof is dirt on top of it,” Owen told CBS News while describing the room. “It’s like this 10-by-20 cement room. There’s nothing in there.”
He claimed security guards used rope, zip ties and duct tape to restrain his wrists, knees and ankles while leaving him trapped inside the room in extreme heat.
“I’m tied with rope, I’m tied with zip ties, I’m tied with duct tape,” Owen said. “I’m like, ‘I’m not going anywhere.’”
Owen further alleged that a woman later entered the room, ordered guards to shove him into a corner and had him blindfolded before leaving him trapped again.
Hours later, Virgin Islands police reportedly arrived and arrested Owen for trespassing before releasing him on a $500 bond.
The island is now owned by billionaire Stephen Deckoff, who purchased Little Saint James and neighboring Great Saint James in 2023 for roughly $60 million, as the Daily Mail reported.
Deckoff has plans to transform the island into what his representatives describe as a “state-of-the-art, five-star, world-class luxury resort.”
A lawsuit filed by the island’s holding company accuses Owen and his associates of being “internet-fame seekers” and conspiracy theorists attempting to profit from Epstein’s notoriety through online content and publicity stunts.
The lawsuit also alleges the group acted with “wanton and reckless indifference” while trespassing on private property.
Owen has publicly promoted theories suggesting Epstein may still be alive, though he acknowledged he found no evidence supporting that claim during the trip.
The incident has drawn even more attention because another alleged trespassing encounter on the island earlier this year reportedly resulted in separate criminal charges.
According to the report, property supervisor Ann Rodriguez was arrested after another alleged trespasser claimed he was hogtied and stripped naked following a confrontation on the island in March.
Rodriguez allegedly faces charges including false imprisonment, kidnapping and assault tied to that earlier incident.
Meanwhile, Deckoff’s representatives continue warning that trespassers entering beyond the island’s beaches or tampering with structures will face aggressive legal action.
