A Jeffreys Bay couple who spent nearly a decade working on the private Caribbean island of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein say they want nothing more than to put that period of their lives behind them, as renewed attention on Epstein’s trafficking network places past associates back under scrutiny.
Speaking to IOL on Sunday, Cathy and Miles Alexander said they had lived quietly since returning to South Africa after leaving Little Saint James in the US Virgin Islands, where they worked for several years as senior staff.
Their comments come after a new batch of previously sealed court documents was released on Friday as part of ongoing civil litigation linked to Epstein’s trafficking operation. The unsealed files have reignited global debate around Epstein’s island and individuals connected to it, with several high-profile names referenced — including former South African president Jacob Zuma.
Epstein’s criminal history
Epstein was arrested in 2019 on federal charges of sex trafficking minors. He died later that year in a New York jail while awaiting trial, in what authorities ruled a suicide.
He had previously been convicted in 2008 in Florida after pleading guilty to state charges of soliciting prostitution from a minor. Epstein served just over a year in jail under a controversial plea deal and was later required to register as a sex offender.
Life and work on Little Saint James
The Alexanders said they moved to the island in 1999, describing the opportunity as what they believed at the time to be an exciting career move.
“It seemed at the time to be a good offer for us,” Cathy said.
“It sounded very exciting and we agreed we would like to try it.”
Miles said he was appointed managing director of the island, while Cathy worked in housekeeping and administration. The couple lived roughly 50 metres from Epstein’s main residence.
“To us, it was like running a hotel,” Cathy said.
“People arrived, we welcomed them, showed them the facilities, and made sure everything ran smoothly.”
They said their working relationship with Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell — now serving a 20-year prison sentence for sex trafficking — was professional.
“He treated us extremely well,” Miles said.
“We never had any problems with him at all.”
Denial of knowledge or involvement
The Alexanders left the island in 2007, years before Epstein’s final arrest. They insist they had no knowledge of any abuse and were never involved in trafficking or wrongdoing.
“We were just the managers on the island,” Miles said.
“We deny any involvement in any sort of trafficking or criminal activity.”
They said claims linking them to misconduct surfaced years later and were strongly rejected.
“We never saw anything suspicious,” Cathy said.
“We never had anyone come to us crying or telling us something had happened.”
Miles added that, to their knowledge, no underage individuals were present on the island during their tenure.
“As far as we could tell, we never saw underage people on the island,” he said.
“The US Virgin Islands are a port of entry. Customs and immigration are strict.”
He said guest records were kept, including passport details.
“None of the people we dealt with were underage,” Cathy said.
“We had passport information and knew everyone was over 18.”
Contradictory past media claims
In contrast to their current account, a 2011 Daily Mail article reported that the couple had allegedly described disturbing scenes, including topless young women on the island and concerns that some appeared underage.
The Alexanders now dispute that reporting.
“I don’t trust the media,” Miles said.
“We had no control over the narrative.”
Allegations in newly released files
One trafficking survivor quoted in the newly unsealed court documents alleged that the Alexanders were aware of abuse taking place on the island and had witnessed it.
The couple categorically denied these claims.
“That did not happen,” Miles said.
“If we ever saw anything like that, we would have left immediately.”
They confirmed they were never charged, arrested, or formally subpoenaed, despite attempts to compel testimony during US civil proceedings linked to Epstein’s banking relationships.
“We haven’t been hounded by law enforcement,” Cathy said.
‘We want to move on’
Both said they have no interest in revisiting the Epstein files or the renewed media attention.
“It’s been more than 20 years,” Miles said.
“We want that chapter behind us.”
Cathy echoed the sentiment:
“There’s a lot of sensationalism out there.”
Wider implications
The latest document release has renewed focus on Epstein’s global network and raised fresh questions about who knew what — and when. While allegations continue to surface, many claims remain unproven, contested, or subject to ongoing legal scrutiny.
Attempts to obtain comment from Jacob Zuma’s office regarding allegations referenced in the files have so far been unsuccessful.
