Two cruise ship guests are in police custody, reportedly accused of harassing a minor during a Royal Caribbean cruise.
Mexican nationals Jose Prudencio Diaz, 36, and Ricardo Daniel Mondragon Leal, 37, are suspected of sexually assaulting a minor in a sauna room aboard Independence of the Seas.
Two Men Accused of Illegal Acts with a 14-year-old
They were arrested when the ship returned to PortMiami and are facing charges, including lewd and lascivious molestation of a child.
Their bond application was denied during an initial court appearance in Florida.
“The defendant was acting in concert with another defendant and were both on a cruise. This shows that they tried to target a specific minor, and this could be done again,” a prosecutor said in court.
According to the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office arrest report, one of the men exposed himself while the other forced the 14-year-old boy to perform a sex act.
Diaz is also accused of engaging in a sex act without disclosing he is HIV positive.
Speaking on the case, One of them has HIV. Speaking on the case, Kristi Noam, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security posted on X (formerly Twitter), “Both have ICE detainers on them. We WILL get these sickos out of our country.
For reference, an ICE detainer, also known as an “immigration hold,” is a request issued by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to a law enforcement agency asking them to temporarily hold an individual beyond their normal release date.
Mondragon Leal separately faces one count of child sexual battery.
Bond Denied for Both Men
They were arrested on Friday, a day after the alleged incident took place on the ship, and are being held in separate detention facilities. There are immigration holds on both men.
The police report says both Mondragon Leal and Diaz live at the same address in Mexico City.
Both men claim the “sexual acts were consensual,” the arrest affidavit said.
“We take these allegations very seriously and immediately notified local law enforcement,” a Royal Caribbean Group spokesperson stated in an email shared by the Miami Herald.
Last year, a Georgia man was arrested and charged with lewd and lascivious conduct after exposing himself and propositioning a 14-year-old boy in the sauna room aboard another Royal Caribbean ship, Explorer of the Seas.
This story is developing.
