A former Royal Caribbean International staff member was sentenced to 30 years in prison for using hidden cameras to film guests while they were in various stages of undress, including minors.
The 34-year-old man was sentenced on Wednesday following his previous guilty plea to producing child pornography, according to a news release from the Southern District of Florida U.S. Attorney’s Office.
After a guest on the Symphony of the Seas ship discovered a hidden camera beneath the sink in their bathroom, the man was charged with six counts of video voyeurism in Florida and detained on federal child pornography charges in March.
The man is a citizen of the Philippines and was employed as a stateroom attendant on the ship.
After checking the man’s electronics, police discovered a wide array of videos of naked guests, including one that allegedly showed him installing a camera in a passenger’s bathroom. The children featured in the video footage ranged in age from 2 to 17 years old, according to reports.
Reports allege that the man would secretly enter guests’ rooms while they were showering and hide under the beds to film them as they exited the shower.
It is unknown how many minors this man filmed from December 2023 to his arrested in March 2024.
This is not the first report of this kind this year among cruise lines. In July, two Carnival Cruise Line staff members were arrested on child pornography charges after child sex abuse material was found on their phones and laptops. In April, a Celebrity Cruises worker was arrested on child porn charges after police apparently found sexually explicit photos and videos of minors on two cell phones in his possession. From January to April, three Disney Cruise Line workers were arrested on child pornography charges.
Actions to Take If You Think You Could Be Affected
Families that traveled on the Symphony of the Seas should check to see if this man was their cabin steward. If you think your child or another family member may have been secretly filmed or photographed while on board the ship, you should call our Florida Cruise Ship Injury Lawyers at Whittel & Melton at 866-608-5529 for a FREE consultation. We can investigate the matter further and determine what your best course of action is. You can contact us online 24/7.
Even if you do not live in Florida, we are happy to be your in-state advocates and keep you updated on your case while you remain in your home state.