A man has been charged with video voyeurism and attempted possession of child exploitation material after he allegedly installed a hidden camera in a public toilet on a cruise ship.
The incident occurred on board Royal Caribbean’s Harmony of the Seas ship during a Caribbean cruise that departed from Miami in April.
Jeremy Froias was charged with the offences after a passenger noticed the camera and reported it to the vessel’s crew. They searched the bathroom and found the device, which by that point contained footage of more than 150 people, including at least 40 minors, using the toilet or getting changed into swimwear.
The several hours of video saved on the camera’s micro SD card allegedly began with footage of Froias himself attaching the recording device and adjusting the angle to ensure it was pointing at the toilet, before he connected the camera to his phone via the wifi.
The FBI’s San Juan Division is leading the investigation and is currently prioritising identifying potential victims, reports CNN.
“If you and/or your minor dependent(s) were victimized by Jeremy Froias or have information relevant to this investigation, please fill out this short form,” it said in a statement online, adding that they are looking at those who may have used the bathroom in question, located on the ship’s top deck between a surfing simulator and a bar, from 30 April to 1 May.
Froias allegedly “admitted to placing the hidden camera in the bathroom”, according to the criminal complaint, and knew the camera had been taken when he went back to check it on 1 May only to find it had disappeared.
He was released to his wife as a third-party custodian at a Bond Hearing on Monday, where he was also ordered to pay a $25,000 unsecured bond. Froias has been ordered not to have unsupervised contact with minors, including his own children, is not allowed internet access, and must surrender his passport under the bond conditions stipulated by the court.
“Mr Froias has not been formally indicted. Therefore, I have no comments at this time,” his attorney, Leo Aldridge, told CNN.
Royal Caribbean said in a statement: “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.”
