A cruise passenger who sailed with Royal Caribbean International was arrested last week for allegedly filming people, including children, on board with a hidden camera.
Jeremy Froias boarded the line’s Harmony of the Seas ship in Miami on April 29 for a week-long sailing with stops in San Juan, Puerto Rico, the Bahamas and more. The following day he installed a Wi-Fi camera in a public bathroom on the vessel’s top deck, according to an arrest affidavit.
The camera was hidden in a part of the wall that had been removed for repairs, where another guest spotted it on May 1 and notified the ship’s crew, according to the affidavit signed by FBI special agent John Auchter. The vessel’s security personnel searched for and seized the device, finding video footage featuring over 150 people, at least 40 of whom appeared to be minors.
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The footage showed them changing clothes and using the bathroom. Froias could also be seen installing the camera and adjusting its angle to focus on the toilet. He admitted to placing the camera in the bathroom in an interview with ship security, according to the affidavit.
“Mr. Froias has not been indicted,” Leonardo Aldridge, an attorney representing Froias, said in an email. “Therefore, I have no comment at this time.”
The FBI has asked potential victims and those with relevant knowledge to fill out a form on its website.
“We are aware of an incident that occurred on board Harmony of the Seas’ April 29 cruise,” a spokesperson for Royal Caribbean said in an emailed 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.”
Froias appeared in court Monday in Puerto Rico, where a judge said he could be released on $25,000 bond. He must surrender his passport, not have access to the internet and not have unsupervised contact with any minors, including his two children, among other stipulations.
Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at [email protected].
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