Cruise Ship Lawyers Blog
A Florida man faces criminal charges after police say he exposed and touched himself in a sauna occupied by two teens, according to NBC 6 South Florida.
The 39-year-old man of Lutz, Florida, was charged with two counts of indecent exposure related to the incident, which occurred on Saturday, March 21.
At least two teens, a 16 and 17-year-old, were in the sauna when they said the man exposed and began to touch himself while sitting on the top bench.
A member of the crew, 19, told police that he saw the man take off “all of his clothing and then covered himself with a towel,” according to local media. He then allegedly asked the employee a sexually charged question.
He was detained by the ship’s security and later taken to jail in Broward County.
Last year, two men were accused of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old boy in a cruise ship sauna.
Leesfield & Partners
For 50 years, Leesfield & Partners has represented the victims of sexual and other violent crimes with the necessary compassion and diligence to secure the best possible result for every client. With the expansion of modern-day cruising and the increase in annual passengers projected to continue, so will the potential for injury. As more people are on board, cruise ships develop more creative and thrill-seeking amenities and excursions become more daring to attract passengers, more injuries are sure to follow. Likewise, without the necessary enforcement, crimes aboard ships will continue to occur.
The U.S. Department of Transportation publishes cruise ship crime data that is reported to the DBI. From Oct. 1 through Dec. 31, 2025, the time period with the latest data available, there were 13 rapes and 16 sexual assaults reported aboard cruise ships. Other violent crimes that were reported during this time included one homicide and five assaults with serious bodily injury.
Bernardo Pimentel II, a Leesfield & Partners Trial Attorney, is handling a case involving video voyeurism aboard a cruise ship. In that case, a crew member was found to be planting hidden cameras in the private bathrooms of guests, filming them without their knowledge. Some of the guests in the footage reviewed by police were minors.
The crew member was recently sentenced to 30 years in federal prison for planting hidden cameras.
Our client, who was traveling with family at the time of the incident, recently told reporters the ordeal has left her with a “crushing, devastating, terrifying feeling.” The crew member in this case used his employee key card to gain access to the private rooms.
In the same interview, Mr. Pimentel told reporters that more needs to be done to ensure the safety of passengers.
“Terminating the employee is not enough,” Pimentel said. “That does not stop this from occurring in the future.”
The firm is representing a minor who was sexually assaulted at a Florida gym by a member with a history of erratic and violent behavior. That case is being handled by Partner Justin B. Shapiro and Trial Attorney Evan Robinson.
Representing Victims and Survivors
Previously, Mr. Shapiro secured a $16 million settlement on behalf of a couple who were staying at a Florida hotel when they were savagely beaten, and the wife was raped and sexually assaulted by a man who was not a guest at the hotel. The property had no required keycard access on elevators that would have prevented the man from traveling up to the couple’s floor. Additionally, neither security not hotel employees stopped or questioned the man when he entered the property.
The hotel had been previously advised by police and a private security company to hire armed guards due to its previous history of violence. To save money, however, hotel officials did not heed this warning and took no action to improve safety measures to protect its guests or employees. Making matters worse, the attack was witnessed by both employees and the security that the hotel already had. Neither party intervened to try and stop the violent assault.
The firm’s Founder and Managing Partner, Ira Leesfield, and Trial Attorney Carlos A. Fabano represented four adults who were sexually abused as children by a clergyman at their parochial elementary and middle schools. Though now adults, these four individuals have been deeply affected by the abuse they suffered as children at the hands of someone meant to protect and guide them.
A confidential settlement was obtained on behalf of our clients.
A Canadian woman who was on a cruise ship for a wedding was previously represented by Leesfield & Partners after a crewmember raped her in her private cabin. The crew member used his employee status to enter the woman’s room.
A confidential settlement was secured for the woman in that case.
Leesfield & Partners recovered $8.6 million against a prestigious overnight camp in Florida after they failed to notice the signs of one of their counselors who sexually abused a child in their care.
A well-respected Florida high school was forced to pay multi-million-dollar reparations to numerous students represented by Leesfield & Partners. These reparations were made following the serial sexual abuse our clients suffered at the hands of their teacher.
In a cruise ship sexual assault case, the firm obtained over $1.5 million for a woman who was raped in her private cabin. The attacker in this case was a cruise employee who abused his keycard access, granting him entry into various cabins, to corner our client and assault her.
The firm represented a store clerk who worked at an outlet mall who was sexually assaulted while on the job. This horrific incident happened in the store in the middle of the day. After a careful investigation, our attorneys discovered that it was the absence of security at the mall that contributed to this crime.
Leesfield & Partners obtained over $1.1 million for the client in this case.
In a similar case in which a Key West hotel maid was raped on the job by a man who was not a guest at the hotel, our firm obtained a $1 million recovery.
An unaccompanied minor was represented by Leesfield & Partners after she was sexually abused by a passenger on an airline. The child was meant to be under the supervision of flight attendants who failed to properly watch over and protect the child.
A confidential settlement was reached with the airline.
In a child sex abuse case involving a negligent youth center, Leesfield & Partners obtained a $650,000 result for our minor client.
If you or a loved one was injured on a cruise ship, don’t wait. Call a Leesfield & Partners Attorney today at 800-836-6400 or 305-854-4900 to see if you might be eligible for compensation.
If you or someone you know has been affected by sexual assault or rape, help can be found by calling the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673.
