By Marlene Lenthang -
NBC News
An employee of a Royal Caribbean cruise ship was arrested after allegedly installing hidden cameras in passenger bathrooms to spy on young people.
Arvin Joseph Mirasol, a 34-year-old Filipino, was arrested on Sunday after a guest on the Symphony of the Seas cruise ship found a camera in her bathroom on February 25.
The guest, who
was staying in a room with her sister and mother
, discovered the hidden camera when she reached under the sink for a roll of toilet paper and found the camera “fixed to the counter under the sink,” according to a statement. sworn
The Symphony of the Seas cruise ship approaches the Strait of Gibraltar on March 24, 2018. Julien Rambaud / Sipa USA via AP file
The passenger reported the camera to customer service and ship security responded to the room.
Mirasol, a cabin attendant who cleans, replenishes towels and makes the bed, was detained on the ship until it docked at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on March 3.
Once at the port, the investigations office of the Department of Homeland Security was notified, Customs and Border Protection and the Broward County Sheriff's Office, who spoke with security representatives and Mirasol.
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That same day ,
Marisol's electronic devices were inspected
, including her phone, an SD card, a camera and a USB memory.
On the USB drive, law enforcement discovered “numerous videos of naked women undressing,” as well as child pornography, according to the affidavit.
One video showed Mirasol himself installing a camera in the bathroom of a guest room.
Mirasol admitted in an interview after being read his rights to having placed a video camera in guest bathrooms when he worked as an attendant, and said he had pleasured himself after retrieving the camera and watching the recording. the affidavit stated.
“Mirasol revealed that it has been placing these cameras in the bathroom since it began working on Symphony of the Seas around December 2023,” the document stated.
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Marisol assured the agents, “I want to control him, but I can't,” according to the affidavit.
She said
she placed the cameras in rooms where there were women 16 years old or older
, despite knowing that it is illegal to record underage women.
Mirasol also admitted that while guests were showering, he would enter their rooms and hide under the bed to record them naked with his phone, according to the affidavit.
Mirasol was charged with six state counts of voyeurism in Broward County.
In the Florida district court he was also charged with production and possession of child pornography.
NBC News has contacted the public defender appointed to his case.
Royal Caribbean said in a statement: “
We have zero tolerance for this unacceptable behavior.
“We immediately informed law enforcement and terminated the crew member, and we will continue to fully cooperate with authorities.”