Nineteen passengers, including four minors, who were on board Royal Caribbean's Symphony of the Seas, have filed a lawsuit against the cruise line and a former employee for placing hidden cameras in their guest rooms. The former employee, Arvin Joseph Mirasol, a citizen of the Philippines, was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison for producing child pornography.
The passengers, mostly American citizens from various states such as New York, Georgia, Missouri, Arkansas, and Texas, along with some from Canada, were victims of this invasion of privacy. The lawsuit alleges that Mirasol placed hidden cameras in passenger cabin bathrooms without their knowledge, capturing images of them undressed and engaging in private activities.
Furthermore, the lawsuit claims that Royal Caribbean should have been aware of the risk of sexual assaults on their ships, citing previous reports of sexual assaults and rapes during their cruises. The lawsuit also mentions a separate incident on another Royal Caribbean ship, Harmony of the Seas, where a hidden camera was discovered in a public bathroom recording over 150 people, including children.
The victims of these crimes are said to be suffering from severe emotional distress, physical sickness, and constant fear that their images are being viewed and used for illicit purposes. The lawyers representing the victims are demanding a trial by jury to hold Royal Caribbean accountable for their negligence in vetting and supervising their employees.
Overall, this case sheds light on the importance of passenger safety and privacy on cruise ships, and the need for cruise lines to take adequate measures to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future.
