Jeffrey Epstein appeared obsessed with a ‘tunnel’ at his Caribbean island lair, emails released by the Department of Justice suggest.

For years, the late pedophile took a great personal interest in the tunnel, sending emails to staff to check on renovations.

The first message about it in millions of files released by the DOJ appears to have been in August 2009 when Epstein received an email discussing plans for a Virgin Islands architecture firm to do work at his home on the island of Little Saint James.

The email referred to a previous ‘team that added tunnels and office below the main house’ in the past.

The architecture firm subsequently confirmed it was contracted to build a ‘subterranean screening room,’ but it severed ties with Epstein and that was never built.

In 2012, Epstein sent a message to an aide saying: ‘Thanks, i want the floor done in the wood tunnel. all the equptent m=ved out floor done on thurs left till monday. thanks.’

Then, in a flurry of emails, starting in April 2015, he was told by an aide: ‘Tunnel floor completed.’

Two months later, he was sent an email headed ‘tunnel/ maint’ which said: ‘As requested, floor plans of the existing “tunnel” building and m=intenance building with square footages.’

Several months after that, he asked an aide ‘why are the rusty lockers still there? and was told ‘I’ll throw them out in the morning.’

In November 2017, Epstein sent an email to two others convening a conference about the tunnel.

He wrote: ‘id like to have a c=ll with you both, today.. i need help thinking about ho= to reorganie the island. move laundry, ? addtiona= staff. . ? tunnel move.’

He later followed up with: ‘tunnel with cots ? ballet room? co=t you less. . be generous with those that work.’

In 2018, Epstein was sent another email about the tunnel.

It said: ‘Confirming the tunnel now houses Woodwo=k shop, Paint shop, Landscaping equipment, Plus s=orage for timber and tropical shipments.

‘The new de=ign needs a conditioned space to also accommodate insecticides and fertiliz=r I would like to review existing drawings tomorrow before w= forward proposed thoughts.’

Images previously released by the DOJ in December included a trapdoor in a maintenance room. It was unclear if that was connected to the ‘tunnel’ Esptein repeatedly referenced in emails.  

The tunnel was clearly something he talked to friends about.

In January 2018, the Hollywood publicist Peggy Siegal emailed him: ‘Dearest Jeffrey.: How have you been? What’s up with the Caribbean island? Staff still sleeping in the tunnels? Retrieved all the furniture out of the ocean? Did you take photos? Are you presently rebuilding?’

In January 2019, Epstein emailed an associated to ‘get new very large fan for tunnel! AUL heavy rusted !!!.’

In an email headed ‘tunnel’ he was was told by an aide: ‘Please keep in mind we are addressing rust, painting= and epoxying floors, so things are getting shuffled in the tunnel and div=sion spaces right now.’

An aide later sent Epstein photographs of ‘crew cleaning up process at the tunnel storage room.’

Weeks after that, he was informed that workers had ‘cleaned and organized the Tunnel after they completed the Dies=l Room. They will clean the Wood shop and organize it tomorrow morning.’

In May 2019 an email between two Epstein aides said: ‘I saw yesterday work began on tunnels…do we have skin to redo? is our crew doing this work? Are we doing all sides of tunnel and not just roof?’

Two months later, Epstein as arrested and charged with sex trafficking minors.

He killed himself in prison in New York the following month.