A Royal Caribbean cruise ship employee has been arrested for allegedly planting hidden cameras in guest bathrooms. — Miami Herald/TNS
MIAMI: A Royal Caribbean cruise ship worker was arrested March 3 in Fort Lauderdale after admitting to planting hidden cameras in guest bathrooms to spy on unsuspecting women and children for months, federal officials say.
Arvin Joseph Mirasol is facing federal production and possession of child porn charges. The 34-year-old also has six counts of video voyeurism, all third-degree felonies, state court records show.
He remains in Broward County jail as of Tuesday afternoon.
On Feb 26, Mirasol came to the attention of Homeland Security Investigations, Customs and Border Protection and the Broward Sheriff’s Office after Royal Caribbean reported that he had placed a camera in cabin bathrooms, according to a criminal complaint filed in the Southern District of Florida.
According to a cruise tracker, a Symphony Of The Seas ship with an eight day itinerary on Sunday returned to Fort Lauderdale, where he was taken into custody following an investigation. The cruise began its voyage in South Florida, later stopping in Aruba, Curacao and Haiti.
“We have zero tolerance for this unacceptable behaviour,” the cruise line said in a statement to the Miami Herald. “We immediately reported this to law enforcement and terminated the crew member, and we will continue to fully cooperate with authorities.”
After confessing, Mirasol told officials he placed the cameras in restrooms to “pleasure” himself, the complaint says. He worked as a stateroom attendant, a role in which he was responsible for cleaning rooms.
Mirasol turned over his electronics, including SD cards, an Android cellphone, a camera and an Apple Watch. On them, investigators discovered videos of naked women – and children – undressing in the bathroom, according to the complaint.
One of the videos, feds say, shows Mirasol placing the camera and aiming it toward the shower. Minutes later, a girl thought to be around 10-years-old entered the bathroom.
It’s unclear if the videos were linked to the most recent Symphony of Seas cruise or from a prior trip.
Mirasol’s cellphone search history included “hidden cameras” and other term associated with child sexual abuse material, the complaint states. Mirasol also admitted to entering rooms and hiding under the bed to record people naked. – Miami Herald/Tribune News Service
