Death – Obituary – Accident and Crime News : New Arrest Made in Celebrity Cruises Child Abuse Case
In a shocking development, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has arrested a youth counselor employed by Celebrity Cruises for sexually abusing a 6-year-old girl on the Celebrity Silhouette cruise ship. The incident occurred in the youth center during a Caribbean cruise just a week ago.
The young child was participating in the “Camp at Sea” program at the youth center when the crime took place. Her parents had entrusted her to the care of the youth counselor, identified as Cris John Pentinio Castor, also known as “CJ.” Castor, a Philippine national, has been accused of inappropriately touching the child under her clothing in the vicinity of her vagina while she was playing a video game.
Following the ship’s return to its home port, an FBI special agent boarded the vessel on November 30th and interviewed the Celebrity crew member. Shockingly, Castor waived his Miranda rights and voluntarily admitted to not only molesting the girl but also at least three other minor children who had visited the youth center since August.
Naomi Feinstein, a reporter for the Miami New Times, wrote an article detailing the incident. In her report, Feinstein highlighted the alarming frequency of sexual assaults on U.S. cruise ships. She cited a previous article published by the New Times, which revealed that sexual assaults were the most frequently reported felony crime on cruises. Moreover, she pointed out that the largest market share of passengers in the cruise industry belongs to Carnival Cruise Lines and Royal Caribbean, the two cruise lines with the highest number of reported sexual assaults.
Feinstein also emphasized the vulnerable position of minors on cruise ships. Approximately one-third of sexual crimes on cruise ships involve children. She warned against leaving children unattended or trusting ship employees with their care, citing the lack of a sexual predator database in the Philippines, where many crew members are hired.
This incident has occurred at a time when the Department of Transportation, FBI, and the cruise industry are no longer disclosing crime reports on an internet portal as required by the Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act of 2010. Furthermore, the absence of crime incident reports for the past year has raised concerns among experts and advocates for passenger safety.
The case against Castor is pending in the United States District Court in Fort Lauderdale. As the investigation continues, it is crucial for cruise lines to prioritize the safety and security of their passengers, particularly minors, to prevent such heinous crimes from occurring in the future.
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