Miami Courant

Arvin Joseph Mirasol, a citizen of the Philippines, was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison on August 28 by U.S. District Court Judge Melissa Damian after pleading guilty to producing child pornography.

On February 25, a guest aboard the Symphony of the Seas cruise ship, owned by Royal Caribbean Group, discovered a hidden camera under the sink in their bathroom and reported it to ship security.

Mirasol, a stateroom attendant servicing passenger cabins, was detained until the ship docked at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) personnel boarded the ship on March 3 to begin their investigation. Mirasol’s electronics were seized and searched, revealing numerous videos of children in various stages of undress. One video showed Mirasol installing a camera in a guest’s bathroom. HSI agents identified children depicted in the videos, ranging from 2 to 17 years old.

According to an agreed factual proffer, Mirasol had been placing cameras in passenger cabins since December 2023. He would enter guests’ rooms while they were showering and hide under their beds to secretly record them exiting the shower.

U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Anthony Salisbury of HSI Miami made the announcement.

HSI Fort Lauderdale investigated the case with assistance from CBP and Royal Caribbean Group security. Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine Koontz prosecuted the case.

Anyone with information regarding suspected crimes on cruise ships is encouraged to contact the HSI tip line at 1-866-347-2423.

Further details can be found on the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida website at www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl or on the District Court for the Southern District of Florida website at www.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 24-cr-60046.