NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / World

Inside Jeffrey Epstein's island: Traveller sneaks on to paedophile's private island, leaks 'creepy' footage

NZ Herald
27 May, 2021 07:17 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Screengrab

Screengrab

A traveller and social media influencer sneaked on to Jeffery Epstein's infamous Caribbean island, lifting the lid on what he found on his brazen venture.

Andy Bracco was on holiday in August 2020 when he decided to infiltrate the abandoned island.

The YouTube travel blogger shared "creepy" clips from his trip to the island including entering Epstein's temple.

He originally shared his footage to TikTok but claims his account was removed from the app. Now, nearly a year later, he has reposted clips of his exploration.

Bracco didn't post footage of the deceased paedophile financier's rumoured hidden tunnels, though in an interview with Newsweek insinuated he did find something of note:

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"If I was to have entered the unlocked temple, that I clearly came into close contact with, I would never self incriminate by showing my audience how I got in.

"Getting in would then subsequently have allowed me to access the tunnels. Between my two visits to the island I did peer into the temple from the outside and noticed the staircase descending downwards."

Jeffrey Epstein's private island, Little St James, in the US Virgin Islands. Photo / YouTube
Jeffrey Epstein's private island, Little St James, in the US Virgin Islands. Photo / YouTube
"Urban explorer" Andy Bracco snuck on to Jeffrey Epstein's island, releasing footage of what he found during his brazen trip. Photo / Andy Bracco / YouTube
"Urban explorer" Andy Bracco snuck on to Jeffrey Epstein's island, releasing footage of what he found during his brazen trip. Photo / Andy Bracco / YouTube

He did find some of Epstein's grandiose furnishings like the white-and-blue-striped temple building and sundial still intact.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

During his venture, he found the island had working electricity, along with a clean pool and manicured palm trees.

He entered one room which appeared to have a fuse box, but no tunnels.

He also discovered the temple's roof had blown away as well as fake doors and Epstein's initials painted on them.

Bracco didn't reveal how they arrived on the island, but landed at 6.30am after evading active security on the island.

They did eventually leave after almost being caught, but returned 12 hours later according to the video.

Bracco also said some parts of his trip to the island he didn't document with active security systems giving them a scare in certain areas.

"There was one super serious part when we didn't account for what I believe was an infrared camera by the communications tower.

"It was pointing directly at us, and if there was a sensor facing us and depending on what software they had it could have set off an alarm. So we had to rush off pretty quickly."

Bracco said following his trip to the Island he had "shadowy" people contact him.

In an interview with the Sun last year, Bracco said: "There is active security there - I visited the site twice over the week and one of the times was in daytime, which was a little bit riskier.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"The route we took we avoided a lot of the cameras on the island - along with the workers and guards.

"We got pretty lucky. But we planned it a few months ahead, spoke to locals and we knew what we were dealing with.

"I wouldn't suggest anyone go there unless you really know what you are doing."

The island is located in the tax haven of the US Virgin Islands and is only accessible by private planes and boats.

The island, known as Little St James, was purchased by Epstein in 1998 and was raided by the FBI in 2019 while building a case against him in relation to alleged sex trafficking of minors.

In 2019, despite being a registered sex offender, locals say Epstein was still flying in underage girls, according to a Vanity Fair investigation.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Epstein died in jail by suicide in 2019 under mysterious circumstances.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from World

World

Milestone move: Taiwan's submarine programme advances amid challenges

18 Jun 04:23 AM
World

Why Parnia Abbasi's death became a flashpoint in Iran-Israel conflict

18 Jun 02:36 AM
Premium
World

How Trump shifted on Iran under pressure from Israel

18 Jun 01:59 AM

Jono and Ben brew up a tea-fuelled adventure in Sri Lanka

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from World

Milestone move: Taiwan's submarine programme advances amid challenges

Milestone move: Taiwan's submarine programme advances amid challenges

18 Jun 04:23 AM

The 80m submarine features US combat systems and torpedoes.

Why Parnia Abbasi's death became a flashpoint in Iran-Israel conflict

Why Parnia Abbasi's death became a flashpoint in Iran-Israel conflict

18 Jun 02:36 AM
Premium
How Trump shifted on Iran under pressure from Israel

How Trump shifted on Iran under pressure from Israel

18 Jun 01:59 AM
Premium
Nature's role: Studies show green spaces help in reducing loneliness

Nature's role: Studies show green spaces help in reducing loneliness

18 Jun 01:56 AM
Help for those helping hardest-hit
sponsored

Help for those helping hardest-hit

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP