A Royal Caribbean crew member was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison for installing hidden cameras inside guest staterooms.
U.S. District Court Judge Melissa Damian gave Arvin Joseph Mirasol, a Philippines national, a 30-year term in federal prison last week. He had earlier pleaded guilty to video voyeurism charges.
Hidden Camera Discovered by Guest
Mirasol worked as a stateroom attendant on the Royal Caribbean ship Symphony of the Seas, giving him access to guest cabins. In February this year, a guest noticed a hidden camera under a sink in the guest’s bathroom and alerted ship security.
Mirasol was handed over to Homeland Security Investigations and Customs and Border Protection officers to conduct further inquiries when the ship docked in Florida.
On inspection of Mirasol’s devices, investigators found video footage of minors aged from 2 to 17 years old in “various stages of undress,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida said.
He was arrested on federal CSAM charges, to which he later pleaded guilty. Homeland security agents were able to identify the children depicted in the videos.
One video showed Mirasol installing a camera in a guest bathroom. Mirasol said he began placing cameras in passenger staterooms in December 2023, shortly after joining the ship.
Prosecutors also found that Mirasol would enter a stateroom while the shower was used. He would then hide under a bed to secretly record people coming out of the shower.
| At the time of Mirasol’s arrest, the cruise line issued a statement. “We have zero tolerance for this unacceptable behavior. We immediately reported this to law enforcement and terminated the crew member, and continue to fully cooperate with authorities,” Royal Caribbean said. |
In December, a Camp at Sea Youth counselor on a Celebrity cruise ship, a Royal Caribbean’s Group cruise line, was arrested for inappropriately touching minors. He was also immediately fired.
