The U.S. Virgin Islands reached a settlement in a sex trafficking case against the estate of a financier.
The officials in the U.S. Virgin Islands sought to hold the man who owned the islands accountable after he was accused of sexually abusing dozens of girls. The agreement includes the sale of the islands.
The Attorney General said that the settlement restored the faith of the people of the Virgin Islands that their laws would be enforced.
The territory will get $105 million in cash and half of the proceeds from the Little St. James island sale.
The environmental damage on Great St. James will be paid for by the estate.
Money from the sale of Little St. James island will be put into a trust to help people who have been sexually abused.
"We owe it to those who were so profoundly hurt to make changes that will help avoid the next set of victims."
The island's features include three beaches, a helipad, a gas station, and more than 70 acres of land that offer an array of subdivision possibilities, as well as a comprehensive infrastructure support system.
Great St. James is an island of more than 160 acres with three beaches.
More than 80 million dollars in economic tax benefits will be returned by the estate.
The Southern Trust Co. was accused of making fraudulent misrepresentations in order to get the benefits.
The settlement does not include any admission or concession of liability by the estate or anyone else, according to a statement sent to The Associated Press.
He wrote that the co-executors denied any wrongdoing. The co-executors decided that the settlement was in the best interests of the estate.
The estate has paid more than $121 million to 136 people.
The man killed himself at a federal jail in New York. He pleaded not guilty to charges that he sexually abused dozens of girls.
Several people had sued the man and his companion for forcing them to have sex with powerful men.
The man was sentenced to 20 years in prison in June.
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