A Memphis nonprofit founder is at the center of a dramatic and bizarre story unfolding in the U.S. Virgin Islands one that involves a trespassing arrest, alleged hogtying, and a so-called “dungeon” on the private island once owned by disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Benjamin Owen, founder of the anti-trafficking nonprofit We Fight Monsters, faces a trespassing charge after authorities say he was caught on Little Saint James commonly known as Epstein Island on April 25, 2026
Why Did He Go There?
Owen told police he had traveled with a group to the island to take photographs for his nonprofit, with the trip planned weeks in advance and intended to draw renewed attention to Epstein’s crimes. Local Memphis
Ryan Dalton, a former federal agent and University of Memphis law school graduate who accompanied Owen, said they made the trip to bring attention to the Epstein case. Dalton stated that he had become convinced, based on publicly available documents, that Epstein might still be alive. The government maintains that Jeffrey Epstein died by suicide on August 10, 2019, at the age of 66, while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. WMC Action News 5WMC Action News 5
What Happened on the Island?
According to court documents, Ann Rodriquez identified as the property manager of Little Saint James and her daughter responded after a maintenance worker reported seeing unknown individuals on the property. The pair confronted the trespassers and ordered them not to move, but the men fled on foot. Local Memphis
While other members of Owen’s group escaped, Owen was restrained by island personnel, reportedly to “protect the island.” A worker was later charged with assaulting Owen in front of officers. Police determined there was probable cause that Owen had been unlawfully restrained. WREG.com
Virgin Islands detectives responding to the scene found Owen shirtless, with his face and body bound with duct tape. WMC Action News 5
Island staff also alleged that the daughter who claimed to be five months pregnant was pushed by one of the trespassers, causing her to fall and experience pain. Owen flatly denies this, stating in a public statement that “nobody pushed the woman on the beach” and that he has video of the confrontation. Local MemphisLocal Memphis
His Wife Speaks Out: “I Didn’t Think He’d Make It Off That Island”
In an exclusive interview with ABC24’s Lauren Turman, Owen’s wife Jessica gave a raw and emotional account of what she says her husband endured.
Jessica Owen said her husband expected to be arrested and had even brought bond money with him in anticipation. “He figured he would get caught and arrested that was totally OK with him,” she said, adding that he wanted to draw attention back to Epstein’s island and to their nonprofit. Local Memphis
But she says things escalated far beyond a simple arrest. According to Jessica, Owen was hogtied, blindfolded, and placed in what staff called “the dungeon” an underground or semi-underground holding area where he was held for hours in extreme heat without water before police arrived. Local Memphis
She also pushed back on allegations that her husband harmed anyone. “He’s not someone that would go knocking down any pregnant women,” she said. “He is very dead set on bringing to light things that people don’t want to talk about anymore.” Local Memphis
Despite the ordeal, Jessica said she stands by the mission. “I do think it was worth it,” she said. “He thinks it’s worth it. And if it’s going to bring more eyes back onto that island… something’s very wrong with that.” Local Memphis
The Island’s Property Manager Under Scrutiny
Ann Rodriquez, the property manager of Little Saint James, appeared more than 200 times in Department of Justice records related to the Epstein investigation. She is separately facing charges in an unrelated incident in which authorities allege she pursued two brothers in a boat and forced one to strip and kneel before being hogtied. The Hill
