MIAMI — A man from the Philippines who worked for Royal Caribbean cruise lines is headed to federal prison for the next three decades after previously pleading guilty to producing child pornography.
Arvin Joseph Mirasol was sentenced Wednesday after he was arrested earlier this year.
The Department of Justice said a guest aboard the Symphony of the Seas cruise ship on Feb. 25, which is owned by Royal Caribbean Group, discovered a hidden camera affixed to the counter under the sink in the guest's bathroom. The guest reported the camera to ship security.
Mirasol, a stateroom attendant who serviced passenger cabins, was detained until the cruise ship docked at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, prosecutors said.
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Royal Caribbean employee accused of secretly filming passengers
Once the ship docked on March 3, the DOJ said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Customs and Border Protection personnel boarded the ship to investigate. Mirasol's electronics were seized and searched.
Prosecutors said law enforcement discovered that Mirasol's electronics contained numerous videos of children in various stages of undress.
"One video showed Mirasol himself installing a camera in a guest's bathroom," the DOJ said. "HSI agents were able to identify children depicted in the videos, ranging from 2 to 17 years of age."
The DOJ said Mirasol had been placing cameras in passenger cabins since December 2023.
"Mirasol would enter the guests' rooms while they were showering and hide under their beds so he could secretly record them exiting the shower," according to the DOJ.
Anyone with information regarding suspected crimes that may have occurred on cruise ships, including sexual abuse and child pornography, is encouraged to contact the HSI tip line at 1-866-347-2423.
