Royal Caribbean cruise worker sentenced to 30 years for hidden camera crimes targeting male passengers
Arvin Joseph Mirasol planted cameras in passenger cabins to record underage children without their knowledge
A Royal Caribbean cruise ship worker has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for secretly installing hidden cameras in passenger cabins to record underage children. Arvin Joseph Mirasol, a 34-year-old Philippine national who served as a stateroom attendant on the Symphony of the Seas cruise ship, received the maximum sentence after pleading guilty to producing illegal recordings of male passengers, including those as young as 2, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida.
Discovery of hidden cameras leads to arrest
Mirasol’s arrest followed a report from a passenger on February 25, who discovered a camera attached to the counter beneath the bathroom sink in her cabin. The cruise ship security team was alerted, leading to Mirasol’s detention. He was officially arrested on March 3 when the ship docked at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale.
Upon his arrest, Mirasol handed over multiple electronic devices to law enforcement, including a camera, an Android cellphone, memory cards, a USB stick, and an Apple Watch.
Illegal recordings and confession
Investigators revealed that Mirasol admitted to placing hidden cameras in several guests’ cabins to spy on male passengers since he started working on the cruise ship in December 2023. His job involved cleaning and servicing guest cabins, which gave him access to the spaces where he installed the cameras. According to court documents, Mirasol confessed to secretly recording underage children in their private moments, often while they were in the bathroom or showering.
Disturbing evidence uncovered
The electronic devices seized by law enforcement contained numerous videos of naked underage children, with a particular focus on their genital areas. One video even captured Mirasol installing a camera in a guest’s bathroom. His search history on his cellphone included terms such as “hidden cameras,” “teen on bed,” and other explicit queries.
Investigators determined that the underage children depicted in the videos ranged in age from 2 to 17 years old. Mirasol admitted that he would choose which cabins to target based on whether he “liked” the person staying there.
Company response and dismissal
Mirasol was terminated from his position after Royal Caribbean Group, the Miami-based cruise line operator that owns the Symphony of the Seas, learned of his actions. In a statement, the company emphasized its zero-tolerance policy for such behavior and confirmed its cooperation with law enforcement.
“We immediately reported this to law enforcement and terminated the crew member, and we will continue to fully cooperate with authorities,” Royal Caribbean Group said.