Sexual Assaults on Cruise Ships

Sexual Assaults at Sea, 2007 - 2012
Publicly Reported Incidents and Reports to the FBI (October 2007 - January 2008)

Date	Ship Cruise Line	Description	Type of Incident
February 14	Queen Mary 2 Cunard Line	The Daily Echo reports a former Cunard cruise ship worker has been charged with a sex attack on a child, police said today. Paul Trotter, 34, is accused of possessing indecent images of children and sexual assault of a child aged under 13 between December 20, 2010 and January 5, 2011. The assault was alleged to have been committed while Trotter was working for Cunard as a supervisor for a children's activity area, Wiltshire Police said. The former Cunard employee was initially arrested on suspicion of making, possessing and distributing of indecent images on August 12 last year. A force spokeswoman said: ''Wiltshire Police are contacting all of the parents they need to speak to in relation to the investigation.	Child sexual abuse (under age 13)
February 5, 2012	Liberty of the Seas Royal Caribbean International	From a passenger: I was on a cruise on the ship in late 2011. On the next to the last night of the cruise I woke up to find a strange man standing over my bed at 3:40AM. I screamed for him to get out and he made pretend he thought our suite was his room. I called security immediatly and they came up to have me fill out a report. They told me he could not get into the room unless the door was left unlocked. Althousgh I asked for more information they never told me anything more. They didn't even try to apologize. After the cruise I called them several times and the only thing they told me was that they had a passenger who reported himself as a sleep walker within ten minutes of the reported incident. He claimed to have lost his card to open his door. I feel that they are just trying to bury this and sweep a possible crime under the carpet. Had I not awakened as he leaned over my bed to make sure I was sleeping, I can only imagine what may have taken place. I think that they should have had sufficient time by now to get back to me. I asked for the passenger's name so I could do a crime check on him, which I am sure is much more than RC did. I am very disappointed with their lack of response and I probably will never take another cruise on any line in light of this incident and the current news on the Concordia. I now know more about cruise ship crime and serious incidents than I want to know. I have had great trouble sleeping since this incident and I would like to put it behind me. I would also like others to know just how unsafe they are on Royal Caribbean. I read somewhere that they have a flaw in their doors. I am not sure if that is true, but I would not like to try to find that out by going on another cruise. Luckily, I didn't have a heart attack from the shock of the incident and I am very disappointed with their follow up. I think it was more cover up than follow up. I would like others to know about this danger but I would not like my name published with the information. Since we were in a grand suite, I felt that at least the conscierge would help, but he never even mentioned it on the last day. I guess he was too wrapped up in making sure everyone got a tip envelope with his name on it. It would have been nice if he asked if I was feeling OK the next day. Security never even asked if I was OK they just wanted their report filled out.	Intruder in my room
January 22, 2012	Queen Mary 2 & QE2 Cunard Line	The Daily Mail reports A man who has worked on two of the world’s most luxurious cruise liners is being investigated by police over allegations he indecently assaulted child passengers. It is claimed the crew member carried out the sexual assaults over the past five years on Cunard’s flagship the Queen Mary 2 and its sister vessel Queen Elizabeth. Detectives started the investigation after a tip-off thought to be from the parents of one of the children involved, all of whom live in the UK. Police in Wiltshire, where the unnamed man lives, have contacted parents in various parts of the UK whom they want to interview. Nobody has been arrested or charged over the allegations. But police sources confirmed that the ex-cruise worker – who left the company before the police probe began six months ago – has been interviewed by Wiltshire CID. Detectives are understood to have examined photographic and computer equipment at the man’s home. The investigation, which began last summer, has taken so long because of the delicate nature of the allegations and the fact they involve young children.	Multiple sexual assaults of children
January 12, 2012	Enchantment of the Seas Royal Caribbean International	The Baltimore Sun reports a 25-year-old Royal Caribbean employee has been indicted on charges of sex abuse of a minor after authorities say he had sex with a teenage girl aboard a cruise ship out of Baltimore, records show. According to a complaint filed in U.S. District Court, Fabian Palmer befriended the 14-year-old girl and her family during a cruise that departed from Maryland on Dec. 17. On Dec. 23, the victim told authorities, she was alone on the deck of the ship and encountered Palmer, who took her into a men's locker room and began having sex with her. He stopped when another employee knocked on the door, she said. Topics Royal Caribbean International Trials Dominican Republic See more topics » Video cameras captured "the likeness of Palmer," the victim, and the second employee outside the locker room around the same time that the victim said the abuse occurred, records show. Palmer was interviewed by Royal Caribbean employees and admitted having sex with the girl, but said he believed she was 16, records show. He was indicted on one count of sex abuse of a minor on Jan. 11. See also the Daily Mail.	Sexual Assault of teen
January 4, 2012	Allure of the Seas Royal Caribbean International	The Orlando Sentinel reports a teenager said she was raped by two passengers while aboard, lured from a teen dance club to a private room in the wee hours of the morning. A teenage boy and a young man were arrested at Port Everglades on Tuesday. Both live in Brazil, but are being held in Broward. The teen and her family, who live in Iowa, set sail from Fort Lauderdale on Christmas for a 10-day cruise. The teen told authorities that on the last night aboard she'd gone to a teen club called Fuel, and at about 1:45 a.m. was invited to a party by a 15-year-old boy. She said she thought she'd be meeting friends in his private room, but said that when she got inside, another man was present, and the two would not allow her to leave. The 15-year-old said she told them she had a curfew and tried to leave, but said both males raped her. She reported it immediately to ship officials, according to arrest documents.	Sexual Assault of teen
November 22, 2011	Carnival Liberty Carnival Cruise Lines	Sun-Sentinel reports a shipboard employee has been charged with engaging in sexual acts with a minor, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern United States said in a release Tuesday. According to the criminal complaint filed, Kert Clyde Jordan, 35 of Grenada engaged in a sexual acts with a 14-year old while she was on vacation with her family aboard the Carnival Liberty. Jordan – a waiter on the ship – allegedly engaged in sexual acts in the bathroom with the victim while the ship was sailing in international waters on November 4 and 5, according to the release.	Child sexual assault
September 12, 2011	Celebrity Equinox Celebrity Cruises	Cruise Law News reports that according to the lawsuit papers, in October 2010, a crewmember employed as an assistant sales clerk working for a perfume concessionaire aboard the Celebrity Equinox, was raped on the cruise ship in the early morning hours after leaving the crew bar. "Jane Doe" awoke to find another crewmember sexually assaulting her. Celebrity Equinox Cruise ShipShe reported the incident to her supervisors and was examined and treated in the ship infirmary. Police in the next port of call in Israel interviewed her, and the assailant crew member was eventually terminated and sent home. Like most cruise ship sexual assault allegations, the assailant crew member was not arrested and there was no criminal prosecution. The ship doctor did not administer any anti-retroviral medications to Jane Doe. She was permitted four days off from work and thereafter returned to full time duty. Neither Celebrity Cruises not her employer, Harding Brothers which operates the perfume concession, provided her with a psychiatrist, psychologist or counselor despite her many requests for help dealing with the trauma. Jane Doe ended her employment on the cruise ship in February 2011. Jane Doe is from South Africa. She is unemployed. Neither Celebrity nor Harding Brothers have provided her with any medical treatment or assistance after she left the cruise ship as required by the doctrine of "maintenance and cure."	Rape
July 20, 2011	??? of the Seas Royal Caribbean International	The Beaver County Times reportson a 72 year old man pleaded guilty to a charge of travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct. He traveled to Florida for the voyage aboard a Royal Caribbean cruise ship, FBI investigators said. A few days after the trip began, he got into a hot tub with a 6-year-old boy and touched the boy's genitals. Federal prosecutors said video surveillance showed the man getting into a Jacuzzi in a water-amusement area on the ship on Dec. 18 and placing a 6-year-old boy on his lap for about three minutes. He released the boy when other people approached, prosecutors said. The surveillance video also showed him approaching another young boy in a second Jacuzzi. On the video, the boy gets up and runs away after the man touches his lower back, prosecutors said. He faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both.	Child sexual abuse
June 21, 2011	Norwegian Sun Norwegian Cruise Line	Maritime Law Blog reports a suit has been filed against NCL on behalf of a passenger who asserts she was raped and sexually assaulted in a public bathroom aboard the Norwegian Sun cruise ship. On April 11, 2011, the passenger (whose name is kept confidential due to the extreme nature of this lawsuit) was participating in an NCL organized "pub crawl" whereby crewmembers took her and other guests throughout the cruise ship stopping briefly to drink at various bars. The complaint alleges the bartenders aboard the ship encouraged passengers to drink above their limits. At one stop the passenger refused the drink offered, but the bartender insisted she drink, returned the beverage to her and stated "no wastee, no wastee." After the event, the passenger went to a public bathroom. While in a stall, she heard her name called. The next thing she knew, the door to the stall busted open, a man spun her around and raped her. The complaint filed in Miami, Florida Federal Court alleges NCL created an unreasonably dangerous condition by feeding the passenger high amounts of alcohol to the point where she became a target for a sexual predator and was unable to defend herself. The complaint also alleges NCL breached its duty to the passenger by not escorting her to her cabin after the event or otherwise protect her while in a vulnerable condition.	Sexual assault
June 11, 2011	Regatta Oceania Cruises	Cruise Law News reports on June 10th, a senior Federal District Court Judge in Miami rejected an attempt by a Miami-based cruise line to limit its potential liability at no more than $65,000 for alleged damages suffered by a minor raped on a cruise ship. The case arose out of a shipboard rape of a girl alleged against Oceania Cruises. According to the lawsuit papers, an Oceania Cruises crewmember sexually assaulted and raped a 13 year old girl during a cruise aboard the Regatta cruise ship in October 2009. Oceania Cruises filed a motion seeking to assert, as an affirmative defense, the terms and Oceania Cruises - Regatta Cruise Ship - Sexual Assault - Rapeconditions of the "Athens Convention Relating to the Carriage of Passengers and their Luggage by Sea." This is an international treaty which applies when a cruise ship does not call on a U.S. port. It is commonly referred to as the "Athens Convention." The Athens Convention limits a cruise lines liability for injuries and deaths to 46,666 Special Drawing Right (SDR's) which is an international currency which has a conversion rate today of around U.S. $65,000.	Child sexual abuse
May 12, 2011	Navigator of the Seas Royal Caribbean International	The Miami Herald reports a civil suit was filed in federal court on behalf of a 17-year-old who said she was raped by a musician employed by the cruise line. According to the lawsuit, the 17-year-old boarded the ship at Port Everglades on March 3. Two days later, when the ship was in international waters, she was listening to a band when the singer invited her to dance. Later, the man ordered her several alcoholic drinks at the bar. Neither the singer nor the bartender asked the girl her age, the suit says. The “extremely intoxicated and impaired” teen went with the singer to his room, according to the suit. Once there, he engaged in sexual activity with the girl, even after she “gained a slight level consciousness” and said she wanted to leave, the suit says. Another man was present and took photographs during the incident, the suit says. Once she was allowed to leave, the girl sat in a hallway crying, where an employee found her. She gave a statement and was taken to the medical center for examination. In a statement, Royal Caribbean spokeswoman Cynthia Martinez said the incident was immediately reported to the FBI and that a team from the company offered the passenger medical care and counseling. When the ship returned to Port Everglades, Martinez said, FBI agents boarded and investigated.	Sexual assault of minor
April 7, 2011	Elation Carnival Cruise Lines	WKRG - TV (Mobile) reports the U.S. Attorney's office in Mobile has arrested a19 year old man for abusing a minor. The incident happened in international waters onboard the ship. FBI agents arrested the man without incident. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Alabama will prosecute this matter, which was investigated by the FBI, Mobile Division.	Sexual assault of minor
March 30, 2011	Unknown	The Royal Gazette (Bermuda) reports a 41-year-old Filipino national was yesterday acquitted of sexual assault charges in Magistrates’ Court. The cruise ship worker was accused of the offence by a 26-year-old female co-worker, also from the Philippines. The man, who was not named for legal reasons, had denied the offence. He was brought to the Island from Miami to face the charges as the vessel is Bermuda-registered. The complainant had become pregnant from a December 28 sexual encounter which she maintained had been forced on her, but which the defendant said had been consensual. At a March 11 court appearance, she said the pregnancy had since been terminated. In weighing the evidence yesterday, Senior Magistrate Archibald Warner noted: “It was not until January 18, after discussing her pregnancy with him, that the defendant made a complaint of sexual assault.” He continued: “In all the circumstances, I am not satisfied that the complainant did not consent, and that the defendant did not have an honest and reasonable belief that it was consensual.”	?Sexual assault?
March 18, 2011	Ship unknown Princess Cruises	The Spalding Guardian reports a “world class” cruise ship captain from Donington has been jailed for nine months for sex offences against a 14-year-old girl while she slept in her cabin. Lincoln Crown Court heard on Thursday how Peter Russell (64), of Bicker Road, performed a sex act on a teenage girl while she was asleep in her bunk. The victim thought she had dreamt the incident but it later came to light when Russell chatted to her on the internet on MSN Messenger and made obscene suggestions. Matthew Lowe, prosecuting, said Russell made comments about the girl’s breasts and urged her to perform a sex act while chatting to him over the internet. Russell went on to request that the girl take a photograph of herself naked and send it to him. The incidents came to an end when the girl broke down in front of her dad and showed him the records of her online conversations she had with Russell. Russell admitted two charges of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity together with sexual activity in the presence of a child and a further charge of sexual activity with a child. Judge Sean Morris jailed Russell for nine months and placed him on the sex offenders’ register for ten years.	Sexual assault of minor
March 7, 2011	Majesty of the Seas Royal Caribbean International	Cruise Law News reports A horrific crime occurred in Nassau involving a twenty-four year old Canadian woman cruising to the Bahamas. "Jane Doe" (whose name is being withheld to protect her confidentiality) cruised from Miami, leaving February 21st. Jane Doe sailed with her father and friends. The cruise ship docked in Nassau on February 23rd. While ashore the group ended up at Senor Frog's, a popular local bar, early in the evening. Senor Frogs is located at the end of a promenade called the "Woods Rogers Walk," near the Straw Market, close to the wharf where the cruise ships dock. After leaving the bar to head back to the cruise ship, the young woman was viciously attacked and sustained physical injuries. Looking for help, Jane Doe was then sexually assaulted by a second man (pretending to be a good samaritan) who raped her. She treated in a local hospital in Nassau and then eventually flew home to Canada to recover.	Sexual assault ashore
February 21, 2011	Carnival Freedom Carnival Cruise Lines	ABC News (Nightline) has a story tonight about a rape of a 14 year old female passenger by a crew member in 2009. According to the story, after having trouble falling asleep one night during their 2009 Carnival cruise, the teenage girl said she left her parents' cabin and went alone to an upper deck of the ship to write in her journal. It was there, she said, that Heri Krispiyanto, a 30-year-old Carnival cruise line employee from Indonesia who waited on the family during meals, found her and then raped her. "He pulled me into an employee-only room," she said. "I asked him what he was doing and he told me that he was going to take care of me. "He raped me, I kept saying, 'No,' but he didn't care," she said of the alleged rape. "He told me not to tell my parents, and he just unlocked the door and let me go." After it was over, she said she was shaken and afraid as she returned to her parents' cabin, but she didn't tell them what had happened. "It's hard to say it," she said through tears. "My dad's birthday was the next day. It's too hard to say." Having no idea what had happened to their daughter, Darla and Enoch continued to enjoy their vacation, as the girl said she lived with the nightmare in secret. "At that point, I just really wanted to die," she said. "I was angry about that, that had happened to me. We're supposed to be on vacation. We're not supposed to have to worry about somebody trying to murder us or rape us." Even after returning home to Oklahoma, she kept the incident a secret from her parents for the next three months until she became severely depressed. "I had some thoughts about suicide," she said. "So I decided to tell my mom because I needed help."	Sexual assault of minor
February 11, 2011	Disney Wonder Disney Cruise Line	The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reports A Rochester man was sentenced to 46 months in prison for abusive sexual contact, the U.S. Attorneys Office announced today. The 25 year old man admitted that on Jan. 1, 2007, while on the ship leaving Port Canaveral, Fla., to the Caribbean, he knowingly engaged in sexual contact with a 13-year-old. He placed the minor in fear that she would be subjected to serious bodily injury. He was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $2,667 for abusive sexual contact on the high seas. The minor and her family boarded the ship on Dec. 31, 2006. That evening, the minor went to the ship’s teen club with some other youngsters she met. After the club closed, the man approached them and ordered them to return to their rooms. He told the victim to follow him and she did, believing him to be a security officer with the cruise ship. After the defendant led her to the rear of the ship, where no other people were around, he engaged in sexual contact with the minor.	Sentenced for sexual assault of minor
February 4, 2011	Caribbean Princess Princess Cruises	The Bermuda Sun reports a crew member has been accused of a sex attack on a woman on the cruise ship. The 40-year-old Filipino was charged with sexual assault in Magistrates’ Court today. He is accused of attacking the woman on board the Caribbean Princess, a Bermuda-registered vessel. The sailor was brought to Bermuda from Miami by the Bermuda Police Service to face the charges. Kenrick James represents the defendant. He was given $5000 bail and his trial will begin on March 7.	Sexual assault
January 13, 2011	Island Princess Princess Cruises	LA Weekly reports a female passenger files a lawsuit earlier this week in Los Angles Superior Court against the cruise line. It was the wee hours of the morning last January,the woman claims, when a man who worked aboard the ship, cruising from Acapulco to Florida, grabbed her and pulled her against him. She says the man began groping her and tried to kiss her, before forcing her toward a deserted part of the ship. She tried to ward off her assailant and slip away, but he physically prevented her from escaping. Once the crew member, whose name is unknown, according to the lawsuit, pulled her into a secluded area, he allegedly held her against a counter top, hiked up her skirt and touched her private parts. She says she was then able push the crew member off of her and run away. The woman claims not only that she was sexually attacked, but that the man had a "prior, similar incident of misconduct" while employed aboard one of Princess' ships.	Sexual assault
January 4, 2011	Consellation Celebrity Cruises	Sign on San Diego reports a computer that had been given away at an estate sale led to the arrest of a cruise-ship audiovisual manager who was taken into custody on child-pornography charges after arriving at the Port of San Diego. The 31 year old man was arrested Sunday by FBI agents and is accused in a federal criminal complaint of receiving and possessing child pornography. The investigation, conducted by the FBI’s Sacramento division, began last summer when a citizen told a sheriff’s deputy in the northern Sacramento Valley that a computer that he had been given by a woman holding an estate sale in Chico contained images of child pornography on the hard drive. The citizen, a technician, said that the woman had thought the computer was broken. The abandoned computer, which the citizen repaired, was turned over to law-enforcement officials. It contained 450 still-image files and about 250 video files of child pornography portraying a total of 44 different victims. An investigation linked Hernandez to the computer and to the address of the estate sale. According to the federal complaint the man was an audiovisual manager. In documented online chats he had bragged that he had bought young boys for sex in Mexico, the complaint said.	Child pornography seized
September 16, 2010	Queen Mary 2 Cunard Line	Metro News reports a crewmember who was found in possession of child pornography while his ship was docked in Halifax has been sentenced to 120 days in jail. Edward Mangubat, age 40 from the Philippines, was arrested on Sept. 7 and pleaded guilty on Thursday at Halifax provincial court.	Child pornography siezed
September 1, 2010	Carnival Glory Carnival Cruise Lines	The Chronicle Herald reports a crewman today was arrested and charged with smuggling child pornography into the country when he debarked in Halifax. The assistant room steward allegedly had child pornography on a laptop computer. Canada Border Services Agency officers were inspecting crew members getting off the ship at Pier 22 when they nabbed the 26-year-old. He was arraigned in Halifax provincial court late in the afternoon on a Customs Act charge. Judge Bill Digby remanded Putra to the Central Nova Scotia Correctional Facility in Dartmouth until Friday, when he'll back in court. This is the second cruise ship employee to be charged with having child pornography so far this year in Halifax. In May, a Filipino who was an assistant waiter on the Costa Atlantica was sentenced to four months in jail for possession and importation (see May 13 below).	Child pornography siezed
August 19, 2010	Bahamas Celebration Celebration Cruise Line	CBS12 reports Miami FBI is investigating an alleged rape on the ship. Investigators responded to the ship when it docked Monday morning. Reports say passengers were delayed upon arrival at the port until the FBI was able to gather a list of names for everyone onboard. At this moment no arrests have been made.	Alleged sexual assault
June 29, 2010	Norwegian Dawn Norwegian Cruise Line	The Royal Gazette reports a 53-year-old man yesterday admitted sexually assaulting a teenage girl on the cruise ship while he was at dinner with his wife and son. He was fined $5,000 after he was accused of inappropriately touching the 18-year-old with his foot under a dinner table. He pleaded guilty to sexual assault when he appeared at Magistrates' Court, but insisted he was only resting his foot on the girl's knee and had no idea it was making her uncomfortable. According top crown counsel, the man met the victim and her family at Tobacco Bay on June 23 and after returning to the cruise ship, the families agreed to have dinner together. During the meal, his foot started to touch the victim's leg. "At that point, she thought it was an accident. When it happened again, she apologised. It happened again, and so she said she gave him a look. The defendant then slid down his chair, and began to feel her legs with his foot. She crossed her legs to discourage him, but he tried to use his feet to pry open her legs." The victim left the table during dessert and told Police that she returned to her room feeling violated and cried. The man was fine $5,000, the jundge saying: "It can't be put down to just an accidental rubbing of the foot. It was not just resting, it was deliberate and prolonged."	Sexual assault
June 23, 2010	Liberty of the Seas Royal Caribbean International	KDKA-TV reports a 71 year old man has been charged with traveling across state lines intending to molest a child. According to the FBI, he boarded the ship for a week-long voyage. The lead agent in this case testified in federal court what allegedly happened on the morning of Dec. 18. 2009. "Based on the testimony in court today, he was alleged to have attempted to fondle a boy in a hot tub on a cruise ship," FBI agent Julie Halferty said. ABC Action News reports the man admitted he got onto a Florida cruise ship to have a sexual encounter with a child. Investigators say he went into the children's area during a December cruise and fondled a 6-year-old boy in a hot tub. The FBI says surveillance footage shows him putting his arm around the boy and pull him onto his lap. NOTE: Analysis of crime reports to the FBI reveal that a minor is the victim in more than 18% (perhaps as high as 30%) of sex related incidents on cruise ships.	Child molestation
May 31, 2010	Carnival Freedom Carnival Cruise Lines	The Orlando Sentinel reportsa bartender accused of raping a 14-year-old girl who was vacationing with her parents will make an appearance in Orlando federal court this week. Hery Krispiyanto, 30, will be arraigned Wednesday on a count of sex abuse of a minor. He was indicted last week. Court records said the teenager was aboard the ship, which left from the Port of Fort Lauderdale in April 2009. While on the cruise, the girl and her parents became acquainted with Krispiyanto. She said Krispiyanto was nice to her and commented that she did not look 1; she told investigators she was alone on the upper deck of the ship one night when Krispiyanto walked up behind her, grabbed her arm and pulled her into a nearby employee-only room and closed the door. He began to touch her inappropriately, and she repeatedly told him to stop; she tried to fight him, but Krispiyanto raped her, the criminal complaint said. The girl reported the incident to her mother in August, and it was then reported to the FBI. When an FBI agent questioned Krispiyanto in April, he first denied the incident, records said. But he subsequently confessed to having sex with the mionor aboard the cruise ship in a pantry area. NOTE: From October 2007 through October 2008 Carnival Cruise Lines reported to the FBI 93 sex related incidents -- in a significant proportion of these incidents the victim was a minor.	Sexual Assault of Minor
May 13, 2010	Costa Atlantica Costa Cruises	The Chronicle Herald reports a 23-year-old assistant waiter was arrested Tuesday as he was getting off the ship in Halifax. He pleaded guilty Thursday in Halifax provincial court to charges of possessing and importing child pornography and was sentenced to four months in jail on each count, to be served concurrently. Canada Border Services Agency officers were inspecting crew members leaving the Italian-registered ship when Trilles admitted having child pornography consisting of two sexually explicit videos of children on both a USB flash drive and a laptop computer. The crew member had worked with Costa Cruises for three years. Last year, border agents on the Halifax waterfront charged two cruise ship employees for having child pornography.	Child pornography siezed
February 19, 2010	Unknown	WHEC TV reports a Rochester, NY man has been indicted by a grand jury for sexual assault of a 13 year old girl on a cruise ship. According to a criminal complaint on December 31, 2006, a 13-year-old female boarded a cruise ship in Florida to embark upon a cruise with her family. In the early morning hours of January 1, 2007, the teen was walking around the decks of the ship with friends when they were approached by a 24-year-old male passenger. According to the complaint, the man told the teen and her friends that they should return to their cabin. The girl followed the manwho took her to another deck where the sexual assault allegedly took place. The complaint states that she was told if she screamed, she would be thrown overboard. NOTE: Between 17.5 and 30 percent of sexual assaults on cruise ships are perpetrated against minors.	Sexual assault of Minor
November 29, 2009	Sinfonia MSC Cruises	The Saturday Star reports a married man and a father of one faces charges of raping a woman on board the MSC Sinfonia on November 28, 2009, after allegedly spiking her drink. The case was reported in the media on 18 December 2011 after the man claimed he could not be prosecuted in South Africa because the case occured in international waters.	Rape
November 6, 2009	Grandeur of the Seas Royal Caribbean International	Hampton Roads dot com reports a convicted sex offender has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison after he admitted downloading child pornography. The thirty-two year old man was arrested in May after he debarked the ship at the Norfolk cruise ship terminal. U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents pulled him from the line and searched his laptop, which contained 69 child pornography videos. The search was conducted under a new policy that allows agents to search any electronic device carried by international travelers.	Pax arrested with child porn
October 24, 2009	Norwegian Jewel Norwegian Cruise Line	The Chronicle Herald reports an employee that visited Halifax on Friday was arrested after border agents allegedly found sexually explicit images of children on his cell phone. Menandro Lim Lanzar, 31, of the Philippines was arraigned in Halifax provincial court on a Customs Act charge of importing child pornography. Mr. Lanzar, quarter master on the Norwegian Jewel, was remanded to the Central Nova Scotia Correctional Facility in Dartmouth until Tuesday, when he returns to court. Blair MacDonald, a criminal investigator with the Canada Border Services Agency, said Mr. Lanzar was inspected as he was getting off the ship at Pier 22. UPDATE: The Chronicle Herald reports the crew member has been sentenced to 100 days in jail and will then be deported.	Child pornography arrest
October 10, 2009	Pacific Sun P&O Australia	The Courier Mail reports police boarded the ship when it docked in Brisbane after they were notified of an alleged sexual assault while the ship was cruising near Noumea last week. The alleged victim was believed to be a juvenile. A police spokeswoman said allegedly involved in the incident had been spoken to by officers, but no one had been arrested or charged. She refused to say how many people were involved in the incident, or where they were from. A spokeswoman for P&O said when officials on the ship became aware of the allegations on October 6, they immediately notified police. UPDATE October 18:The New Zealand Herald advises Kiwi cruisegoers have been warned to watch their backs after an alleged sexual assault on "New Zealand's favourite cruise ship". Detective Sergeant Andy King, who heads Auckland's adult sexual assault team, said cruise ship passengers needed to watch out for themselves. "The same rules apply as if they were going out drinking. Look after each other, take care of your drinks," he said. "Quite often cabins close by make it more convenient for people to get into situations that might be compromising. People should use their common sense. Where people are socialising and drinking, issues will always arise."	Sexual assault of minor
September 4, 2009	Carnival Triumph Carnival Cruise Lines	The Chronicle Herald (Halifax) reports an Indonesian crewman faces charges after customs officers allegedly found images of child pornography on his computer. Hendri Dharmawan, 29, an employee on the Carnival Triumph, was arrested Tuesday while the ship was docked at Pier 22 on the Halifax waterfront. He was arraigned in Halifax provincial court Wednesday on a Customs Act charge of smuggling child pornography into the country. On Friday, investigators added a Criminal Code charge of possession of child pornography. UPDATE - October 9: The Chronicle Herald reports the crewman is awaiting sentencing/ The newspaper article says: Officers with the Canada Border Services Agency conducted a routine search of Mr. Dharmawan as he and a couple of other crew members were going back on board the ship at Pier 22. After finding child pornography on Mr. Dharmawan’s iPhone, the border agents went to his living quarters on the ship and examined his laptop computer and an external hard drive. Altogether, officers found eight videos of child pornography on Mr. Dharmawan’s devices. The 135 minutes of footage depicted girls as young as eight and boys as young as 10 being abused.	Child pornography arrest
March 9, 2009	Coral Princess Princess Cruises	The Los Angeles Times (and Associated Press) reports a dining room headwaiter (a 38-year-old Portuguese national who has worked for Princess for 18 years) was arrested today on suspicion of sexually assaulting a 42-year-old female passenger. The crew member was taken into custody after the Federal Bureau of Investigation received the complaint about the assault and dispatched investigators and an evidence response team to the ship, which docked in Los Angeles this morning. The ship was on 14-day cruise through the Panama Canal, between Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and Los Angeles.	Sexual assault
January 15, 2009	Carnival Conquest Carnival Cruise Lines	The Southeast Texas Record reports a lawsuit has been filed alleging a 13-year-old girl was sexually assaulted during a cruise last summer. The girl was aboard the ship the afternoon of June 24 when a male employee - a waiter at the ship's Lido Deck Buffet - approached the teen as she went toward her cabin and made an inappropriate pass at her, court papers say. "During the encounter in the hallway, the Carnival employee made inappropriate and sexually suggestive comments to the minor, grabbed her arm, and forcibly attempted to pull her into an elevator," the original petition says. The plaintiffs argue the waiter also tried to kiss the girl's face and neck.	Sexual assault of minor
August 19, 2008	Serenade of the Seas Royal Caribbean International	A thirty-year old Turkish male crew member was arrested when the ship was in Juneau after a female crew member complained to police that she had been sexually assaulted while in her cabin.	Sexual Assault (crew on crew)
June 19, 2008	Carnival Victory Carnival Cruise Lines	CBS in Miami reports a woman alleges she was sexually assaulted on board the ship on February 4, 2008. The married mother of three said she was in one of the ship's nightclubs when a man offered to buy her a drink. She declined the offer and said she was looking for her friend. A short time later, the man returned and said he saw her friend in another area of the nightclub. When the two walked to the other area, the section was closed and the man forced the woman into a room where he sexually assaulted her. The victim notified Carnival security who investigated the incident, along with the FBI. The suspect, who was a passenger, was identified in a photo line-up. The lawsuit alleges the sexual assault might have been prevented if there had been adequate security on the cruise ship.	Sexual Assault
January 25, 2008	Freedom of the Seas Royal Caribbean International	From the FBI: A female passenger compained that she had been sexually assaulted by a male cruise passenger in a passenger cabin.	Sexual assault
January 19, 2008	Disney Wonder Disney Cruise Line	From the FBI: A male passenger (minor) complained of being stalked and propositioned by a male passenger.	Sexual harassment (minor)
January 15, 2008	Carnival Valor Carnival Cruise Lines	From the FBI: There was a complaint that two males (minors) were engaged in inappropriate sexual behaviour while in the pool.	Sexual contact
January 13, 2008	Fascination Carnival Cruise Lines	From the FBI: An 18 year old passenger complained that she had been served a lot of alcohol and then sexual assaulted by a 33 year old man (unclear whether a crew member or passenger) (alcohol involved).	Sexually assault
January 12, 2008	Carnival Conquest Carnival Cruise Lines	From the FBI: A 15 year old female complained that she had been sexually assaulted by a 21 year old male passenger while in a passenger cabin.	Sexual assault (minor)
January 11, 2008	Adventure of the Seas Royal Caribbean International	From the FBI: A minor female passenger complained that a male crew member accosted her in a stairwell, exposed himself and masturbated in front of her.	Sexual contact (minor)
January 10, 2008	Caribbean Princess Princess Cruises	From the FBI: A male passenger complained that he had been gabbed in the crotch several times by another male cruise passenger while in the elevator.	Sexual assault
January 10, 2008	Pride of America NCL America	From the FBI: A female crew member complained that she had been raped by a male crew member at 4:30 AM in a crew cabin.	Sexual assault
January 8, 2007	Paradise Carnival Cruise Lines	From the FBI: Two minor females complained that they had been grabbed by a male passenger while in the spa.	Sexual contact
January 7, 2008	Carnival Triumph Carnival Cruise Lines	From the FBI: A female passenger complained that she had been touched and experienced inappropriate behaviour by a male guest while she was in a public bathroom at 11:15 PM.	Sexual contact
January 5, 2008	Pacific Star P&O Australia	According to TV New Zealand, French police were called to the ship during a stopover in Lifou Island, in New Caldedonai's Loyalty Islands group where they removed and sent home a 37 year old Australian man who allegedly attacked a 46 year old New Zealander. The woman was found in a state of shock and and suffering bruises in the early hours of the morning of New Years day. She told police in New Caledonia she had been raped in the man's cabin while the ship was docked, but said she was too drunk to recall all the details, local sources said. It is understood the Australian man said he had engaged in consensual sex with the woman. Police are also investigating accusations of drink-spiking during the cruise (see Daily Telegraph).	Rape
December 31	Carnival Spirit Carnival Cruise Lines	From the FBI: A female passenger complained that a male crew member had kissed her and touched her breast (unwanted) while in a public area at 2:45 AM.	Sexual contact
December 30, 2007	Enchantment of the Seas Royal Caribbean International	From the FBI: A female complained of being groped by male passenger while in a bar at 1:30 AM.	Sexual contact
December 30, 2007	Serenity Crystal Cruises	From the FBI: A female passenger (minor?) complained of being molested by a crew member in a public bathroom.	Sexual assault
December 27, 2007	Adventure of the Seas Royal Caribbean International	From the FBI: A femaile passenger complained that she had been sexually touched by a male masseur during a massage in the spa at 4:40 PM.	Sexual assault
December 26, 2007	Navigator of the Seas Royal Caribbean International	From the FBI: A female aged 17 complained that she had been sexually assaulted by a 22 year old male passenger at 1:30 AM.	Sexual assault
December 25, 2007	Holiday Carnival Cruise Lines	From the FBI: A female passenger complained that she had been raped by a male crew member while walking on the open deck at 4:00 AM.	Rape
December 24, 2007	Explorer of the Seas Royal Caribbean International	From the FBI: A female passenger (15 year old) complained that she had been sexual assaulted by an unknown male at 2:00 AM.	Sexual assault (minor)
December 18, 2007	Carnival Pride Carnival Cruise Lines	From the FBI: A female passenger complained that a male passenger had inappropriately touch a 12 year old and a 15 year old female passenger in a public area (alcohol involved).	Sexual assault (minor)
December 13, 2007	Carnival Spirit Carnival Cruise Lines	From the FBI: A female passenger complained that she hasd been sexual assaulted by a male pasenger in a passenger cabin at 1:30 AM (alcohol involved).	Sexual assault
December 13, 2007	Celebration Carnival Cruise Lines	From the FBI: A female passenger complained that she had been sexually harassed -- a male was showing pictures on his computer to minors.	Sexual harassment (minors)
December 12, 2007	Valor Carnival Cruise Lines	From the FBI: A multiple female passengers complained that they were groped (breasts grabbed) while on a shore excursion by the shore excursion provider.	Sexual contact
December 12, 20007	Galaxy Celebrity Cruises	From the FBI: A female passenger complained that she had been groped (touched her breast) by a male crew member (Filipino) when in the theatre.	Sexual contact
December 4, 2007	Sovereign of the Seas Royal Caribbean International	From the FBI: A female passenger alleges whe was raped by a male passenger in her cabin at 11:00 PM.	Rape
November 29, 2007	Victory Carnival Cruise Lines	From the FBI: A minor girl complained she had been sexually assaulted by a male passenger in a passenger cabin at 2:00 AM (alcohol involved).	Sexual assault (minor)
November 27, 2007	Caribbean Princess Princess Cruises	From the FBI: A female crew member complained a male crew member had filmed her having sex (at 3:00 AM) and then distributimng the film.	Sexual filming
November 27, 2007	Ecstasy Carnival Cruise Lines	From the FBI: A female crew member complained that a 48-year-old male passenger poked her in the breast at 11:00 PM in a public area (alcohol involved).	Sexual contact
November 24, 2007	Caribbean Princess Princess Cruises	From the FBI: A complaint was made by a 10 year old girl that a 62 year old male had exposed himself when she was in the public bathroom.	Sexual contact (minor)
November 24, 2007	Caribbean Princess Princess Cruises	From the FBI: A complaint was made by a female passenger that another female passenger (aged 62) invited her to engage in sex while in a public area.	Sexual contact
November 22, 2007	Carnival Spirit Carnival Cruise Lines	From the FBI: A complaint was made by a female passenger that a male crew member knocked on her door at 1:00 AM. She opened the door and was sexually assaulted.	Sexual assault
November 21, 2007	Celebration Carnival Cruise Lines	From the FBI: A female crew member (Filipino) complained that she had been sexually assaulted by a male crew member (Ukraine) in a crew cabin. The incident occurred at 1:00 AM (alcohol involved).
November 19, 2007	Elation Carnival Cruise Lines	From the FBI: A complaint was made that a passenger kissed (unwanted) and made gestures, and sexual comments to a female minor while in the restaurant.	Sexual contact
November 18, 2007	Majesty of the Seas Royal Caribbean International	From the FBI: A complaint was made by a male passenger who was groped by another male passenger in the public bathroom at 8:15 PM (alcohol involved).	Sexual assault
November 13, 2007	Sovereign of the Seas Royal Caribbean International	The Bahama Journal reports that a 28 year old Nicaraguan man is standing trial accused of forcing himself on a 20 year old cruise passenger while she was asleep in a friend's cabin on March 7, 2007. According to the article, the young woman had arrived in the Port of Nassau and shopped at the Straw Market that afternoon. She testified that after dropping off her packages at the cruise ship and enjoying a few drinks at Senor Frogs in downtown Nassau, she went to dinner with several of her friends. After dinner, she said she returned to the cabin with three of her friends and immediately went to sleep. She told the court she had no recollection of what happened between that time and when she awoke to discover she was naked from the waist down and the crew member was on top of her and had penetrated her. On November 19, the assailant was acquitted. The case is laid out in Bahama Journal articles, if you are interested in reading about the case.	Sexual assault
November 12, 2007	Aurora P&O Cruises	A British newspaper reports that a 30 year old Indian waiter has been jailed for sexual assault of a 14 year old girl on a Mediterranean cruise. The court heard how the waiter, who befriended the girl while serving her family's table in the dining room, had persuaded the girl to follow him while she was waiting for a friend outside the restaurant one evening. He led her around the ship to a toilet cubicle, locked the door and sexually assaulted her. He was sentenced to 15 months.	Child sexual assault
November 7, 2007	Elation Carnival Cruise Lines	From the FBI: A female passenger complained of being sexually assaulted while onshore. The incident occured at 1:30 AM (alcohol involved).	Sexual assault
November 5, 2011	Elation Carnival Cruise Lines	From the FBI: A female passenger complained she had been groped (grabbed buttocks) by a male passenger while in the disco (alcohol involved).	Sexual contact
October 31, 2007	Sovereign of the Seas Royal Caribbean International	From the FBI: A male crew member complained he was groped by a male passenger in a public area at 1:40 AM (alcohol involved).	Sexual contact
October 29, 2007	Paradise Carnival Cruise Lines	From the FBI: A female passenger complained that she had been groped by a male passenger at 1:30 AM in the disco (alcohol involved).	Sexual contact
October 25, 2007	Sensation Carnival Cruise Lines	From the FBI: A femaiol passenger complained that she was raped by a male crew member (security guard) in her cabin at 2:30 AM (alcohol involved).	Sexual assault
October 24, 2007	Mercury Celebrity Cruises	From the FBI: A complaint by a male crew member of being groped by a male passenger in a public area.	Sexual contact
October 23, 2007	Carnival Conquest Carnival Cruise Lines	From the FBI: A complaint by a 14 year old boy that he was molested by a male passenger in the steamroom at 8:35 AM.	Sexual assault (minor)
October 22. 2007	Sensation Carnival Cruise Lines	From the FBI: A complaint of groping by male passenger of female passenger in the nightclub at 3:15 AM (alcohol involved).	Sexual contact
October 21, 2007	Sovereign of the Seas Royal Caribbean International	From the FBI: A complaint of groping by male passenger of female passenger in the nightclub at 1:55 AM.	Sexual contact
October 12, 2007	Carnival Victory Carnival Cruise Lines	From the FBI: A complaint of groping by male passenger of female passenger in a public area (alcohol involved).	Sexual contact
October 11, 2011	Fascination Carnival Cruise Lines	From the FBI: A complaint of sexual assault, passenger on passenger, in a passenger cabin. Viewed as "he said-she said" (alcohol involved).
October 1, 2007	Fantasy Carnival Cruise Lines	From the FBI: A complaint of sexual assault, crew on crew, in crew cabin. Viewed as "he said-she said."	Sexual Assault
March 30, 2007	Carnival Glory Carnival Cruise Lines	The Baltimore Sun reports that Naval Academy midshipmen aboard the 10 - 17 March cruise demonstrated behaviour that was misguided/immature, but not criminal. According to a passenger, "eight to 10 male midshipmen groped women, offered to buy alcohol for teenagers and displayed "lewd" behavior while wearing bikini swim trunks and cowboy boots." The newspaper includes the following quote: "I was 'felt up' by one of the very drunk men and I was given the misfortune of watching them grab and disrespect every woman they could get close to as well as seeing them offer the underage [15- and 17-year-old] girls at our table alcohol ... I cannot tell you strongly enough how EMBARRASSED these "gentlemen" made me feel to be an American. I can only imagine what the foreigners on our ship and in port thought of us."	Sexual misconduct
January 25, 2007	Pacific Star P&O Australia	A 16-year-old girl claims she was sexually assaulted (presumably by another passenger) onboard the ship. The police are investigating. Unrelated, during the investigation a 23-year-old Australian man was arrested and charged with possession of a dangerous drug.	Sexual Offense (Pax on Pax)
January 2, 2007	Disney Wonder Disney Cruise Line	A 21 year old male passenger from New York was arrested in the Bahamas after allegedly sexually assaulting a 13 year old girl onboard the ship. The ship was on a four-day New Year's cruise from Port Canaveral to Nassau return.	Sexual Offense (Pax on Pax)