The Royal Caribbean Cruise line worker would tape a video camera in one of the ship’s bathrooms to spy on young girls aboard, he allegedly told authorities upon his March 3 arrest.
His Confession
‘If I like who is in that room, I place’ the camera there, Arvin Joseph Mirasol, 34, allegedly said, per a six-page federal criminal complaint obtained.
Charges Against Him
According to the complaint, Mirasol allegedly said he selected girls who were 16 and older, although federal authorities claim he sometimes filmed girls as young as 10.
Mirasol, of the Philippines, is charged with producing and possessing child pornography, which he allegedly filmed aboard the Symphony of the Seas beginning at the start of his employment last December, per the federal complaint.
Mirasol is also facing six counts of video voyeurism, which are third-degree felonies, per state court records obtained.
‘I want to control it,’ Mirasol allegedly told federal authorities per the complaint. ‘But I can’t.’
As a stateroom attendant, Mirasol serviced guests’ cabins, cleaning their rooms, restocking towels and making their beds.
Who Alerted The Police?
Royal Caribbean Cruise lines reported Mirasol Feb. 26 to authorities, per the federal complaint.
Six days later, the ship arrived from Haiti into Port Everglades, where Homeland Security agents and Customs and Border Patrol officers boarded the vessel and obtained Mirasol’s electronic devices.
‘We have zero tolerance for this unacceptable behavior,’ Jonathan Fishman, a spokesman for Royal Caribbean Group, said in a statement.
‘We immediately reported this to law enforcement and terminated the crew member, and we will continue to fully cooperate with authorities.’
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Mirasol’s search history allegedly included, per the federal complaint, searches for: ‘hidden cameras,’ ‘teen on bed,’ ‘p— in public restrooms’ and ‘sweet [genitals] of teenage girls.’
Evidences Were Found
Investigators discovered ‘numerous videos of naked females undressing in the bathroom as well as videos of child [sex abuse material],’ HSI special agent Michelle Maglione wrote in the probable cause statement.
In a five-minute video confiscated by federal authorities, a girl estimated to be 10 years old – and wearing the yellow/orange cruise line wristband indicating her minor status – is seen showering in the cruise ship.
The start of the video allegedly ‘clearly depicts’ Mirasol setting up the camera, per the criminal complaint.
What He Does With The Footage
Mirasol allegedly told federal authorities that he would collect the camera and then ‘pleasure himself’ to the footage.
Other times, per the complaint, Mirasol allegedly said he would enter the guest rooms while they were showering, hide under their beds, and, aiming his cell phone at their bodies, record them from his spot on the floor.
Mirasol appeared in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida for the first time Monday for a detention hearing in which Maglione testified. No plea was entered in the online federal docket.
Mirasol is detained, pending trial and set to return for his arraignment March 18 at 11 a.m.
