Filipino cruise ship employee gets 30 years in Florida over hidden cams

A Filipino cruise ship employee was sentenced to 30 years in prison by a court in Florida for the crime of producing child pornography, according to the US Attorney's Office - Southern District of Florida.

Arvin Joseph Mirasol, a stateroom attendant who serviced passenger cabins, was sentenced by US District Court Judge Melissa Damian after previously pleading guilty to producing child pornography.  

Mirasol's crime was discovered on February 25 after a guest aboard the cruise ship discovered a hidden camera affixed to the counter under the sink in the guest's bathroom. 

The guest reported the camera to ship security.

Security officers of the ship detained Mirasol and turned him over to authorities when the ship docked at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale on March 3.

"Once the ship docked, on March 3, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) personnel boarded the ship and began their investigation," the US Attorney's Office said in a news release. 

The investigation found that Mirasol's electronics contained numerous videos of children in various stages of undress. The victims' ages ranged from 2 to 17 years of old.

The investigation also found out that Mirasol had been placing cameras in passenger cabins since December 2023. He would reportedly enter the guests' rooms while they were showering and hide under their beds so he could secretly record them exiting the shower. 

Mirasol had reportedly admitted to the crime, citing lack of self-control. —KBK, GMA Integrated News