By Hannah Sampson
A passenger has been arrested on federal charges for allegedly hiding a camera in a bathroom on one of the world’s largest cruise ships, capturing footage of more than 150 people – including dozens of children.
Jeremy Froias, who until this week worked as a cybersecurity officer for the Central Florida city of Kissimmee, was arrested on May 3 in Puerto Rico for video voyeurism and attempted possession of child exploitation material.
He boarded Royal Caribbean International’s Harmony of the Seas on April 29 for a week-long voyage with stops in St Maarten, San Juan and the Bahamas.
The next day, according to an arrest affidavit, he hid a wi-fi camera in a bathroom on the ship’s top deck near a bar and a surfing simulator called the FlowRider.
Froias placed it in part of the wall above the door that had been removed for repairs, the charging document says.
Only the lens was visible, but another passenger spotted it the night of May 1 and reported it to the crew. Security officers on board found “several hours’ worth” of video files on a memory card, an arrest affidavit says.
“We are aware of an incident that occurred on board Harmony of the Seas’ April 29 cruise,” the cruise company said.
“The matter was immediately reported to local and federal law enforcement and the guest involved was removed from the ship by authorities for further investigation. As this is an active case, we are unable to share any more details at this time.”
Footage first shows Froias hiding the camera and adjusting it to point at a toilet. The affidavit says Froias appears to have connected his iPhone to the camera as well.
In the time the camera was mounted, it captured videos of more than 150 people, including what appeared to be at least 40 minors.
“Individuals are seen coming into the bathroom to either use the toilet or to change into or out of swimsuits,” the affidavit says.
“Froias’s camera captured these individuals in various stages of undress, including capturing videos of their naked genitals, buttocks, and female breasts.”
The San Juan FBI agent who wrote the affidavit, John Auchter, wrote that some of the children recorded appeared to be as young as four or five.
The FBI is asking anyone who believes they or their children were victims, or who might have information relevant to the case, to fill out a form.
Interviewed by security workers on the ship around midnight on May 1, Froias admitted that he put the camera in the bathroom and said he realised it had been discovered earlier that evening after he tried but failed to find it in the bathroom. Footage shows that he returned to the bathroom at some point that day to adjust the camera’s angle.
In a brief email, the San Juan attorney representing Froias, Leonardo Aldridge, declined to comment on the case.
“Mr Froias has not been indicted at this time,” he wrote. “Therefore, I have no comment.”
Froias appeared in court for a bail hearing on Monday in Puerto Rico. A judge said he could be released on $25 000 (about R460 000) bond but would need to use an electronic monitoring device, surrender his passport and limit his travels to Puerto Rico.
He is not allowed to use the internet or have unsupervised contact with anyone under 18, his own two children included.
Stephanie Bechara, the public affairs manager for Kissimmee, a Central Florida city near Walt Disney World, said Froias was originally hired in April 2004.
“After reviewing the charging affidavit involving Jeremy Froias, we have terminated his employment effective May 8, 2023,” Bechara wrote.
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