The founder of a Memphis-based nonprofit focused on combating human trafficking was found bound and blindfolded on the private island once owned by disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, according to police reports and his own account. Benjamin Owen, who leads the organization We Fight Monsters, now faces a misdemeanor trespassing charge for his role in the incident.
Owen was arrested Saturday after authorities responded to a reported kidnapping and assault on Little St. James, the island in the U.S. Virgin Islands that Epstein used as a base for his alleged sex trafficking operation. When officers arrived, they encountered three individuals, one of whom acted aggressively, before being led to a holding area where Owen was found restrained with duct tape across his body and face.
According to a court filing, Owen was wearing black pants emblazoned with the words “We Fight Monsters.” One of the men on the island told police that his pregnant girlfriend had been pushed to the ground by trespassers taking photos. While others fled, Owen was detained by island personnel “to protect the island,” police said. A worker on the island was later charged with assaulting Owen in front of officers.
In a statement to Nexstar’s WREG, Owen confirmed he was on the island conducting research to “raise awareness on the Epstein story” and bring attention to his nonprofit. “I was kidnapped, hogtied and blindfolded by an individual who managed the island for Jeffrey Epstein himself,” he said, thanking the Virgin Islands police for rescuing him.
Owen is currently out on bond and back in Memphis, awaiting a May 15 arraignment. He declined to discuss specifics of the case at the request of the magistrate, but insisted that video evidence would show no one pushed the woman on the beach.
The incident has renewed scrutiny of Epstein’s island and the ongoing legal battles over the release of related documents. The Government Accountability Office has launched a second federal probe into the DOJ's handling of Epstein files, while Attorney General Pam Bondi has agreed to testify before the House in May after skipping a deposition.
Court documents from a separate case identify one of the women involved as Ann Rodriquez, the property manager for Little St. James. According to NewsNation, Rodriquez appeared more than 200 times in DOJ records linked to the Epstein investigation and is facing charges from a May incident in which she allegedly pursued two brothers in a boat, forcing one to strip and kneel before being hogtied. In Saturday’s incident, she allegedly chased other members of Owen’s group by boat while maintenance workers detained him.
Epstein, a wealthy financier with ties to political and Hollywood elites, was convicted of soliciting a minor for prostitution and died in federal custody in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. The case continues to reverberate through U.S. politics, with lawmakers pressing King Charles to address Epstein victims during his recent state visit.
