Robert Couturier, a New York-based designer who worked on Jeffrey Epstein's private Caribbean property, has publicly detailed what he described as disturbing design requests and layouts at Little St. James, saying the signs of misconduct were visible and that "everybody knew," according to a CNN investigation drawing on newly released Department of Justice materials.
Couturier's account, disclosed for the first time in connection with millions of pages of DOJ files, provides granular descriptions of the island's interior arrangements and adds to a body of testimony from victims and former staff about conditions inside Epstein's estate.
Couturier said he was hired around 2010 to design interiors on the island, but quickly became unsettled by the nature of the requests and the configuration of certain rooms.
He recalled being instructed to create a bedroom with a "very colourful palette" because it was "for his girls," and described encountering bunk beds that Epstein also identified as being "for the girls."
In another room, Couturier said Epstein pointed to a space filled with computers and described it as a place where the girls could "have fun," a characterization that contributed to what the designer later described as a deeply troubling environment.
The physical setting reinforced those concerns, Couturier said, citing drawn curtains, limited natural light and what he characterized as an oppressive atmosphere. "It felt terrible," he said of the overall environment inside the property.
Photographs of young girls displayed throughout the residence further heightened his unease, he said, adding that the cumulative effect of the design elements and visual cues made the intent of the space difficult to ignore.
"I Immediately Understood," Couturier said, describing the moment he formed conclusions about the nature of the project. He said he left the assignment after only a few months.
Couturier later spoke with federal investigators, providing details to the FBI about his observations and the instructions he had received. That interview remained largely out of public view until the recent release of DOJ materials cited by CNN.
The newly surfaced documents include emails, photographs and videos tied to Epstein's properties, which investigators say align with longstanding accounts from victims and former associates.
According to the CNN report, the materials depict interior configurations consistent with shared sleeping arrangements and restricted openness, echoing Couturier's description of bunk beds, closed-off spaces and controlled environments.
Victims cited in the DOJ files have described heavy curtains, limited freedom of movement and isolation while on the island, reinforcing the designer's account of conditions that diverged sharply from typical luxury residential design.
Former staff and other witnesses have also described patterns of movement involving young women and rooms designed for specific purposes, suggesting a structured environment rather than incidental or ad hoc arrangements.
Couturier's most pointed assertion centers not on architecture but on awareness among visitors. He said Epstein "wasn't hiding anything" and questioned how those present could have failed to recognize what was taking place.
He summarized his view bluntly: "Everybody knew!"
That claim parallels statements from some victims cited in the DOJ materials, who said the nature of activity on the island was "obvious" to those who spent time there.
Little St. James, purchased by Epstein for $8 million and later sold for $60 million, has become a focal point in ongoing efforts to reconstruct how his network operated, with newly released records continuing to shed light on the physical environment and social dynamics surrounding the property.
