Florida Injury Lawyer Blawg obtained the complaint filed in Federal Court against Casey Dickerson on August 20, 2012. The investigation and interviews conducted by Federal Special Agent, Christopher Williams, describe a savage attack on a defenseless and inebriated minor child. The complaint is available below for download.
According to the complaint filed in the Middle District of Florida, Casey Dickerson, 31, was a passenger on the Carnival Sensation that left Port Canaveral on August 16, scheduled to return at the same port on August 19. Dickerson and his wife were originally assigned to stay in cabin E-153. Due to Dickerson’s spouse complaints about noise, Carnival reassigned the couple to cabin U-212. Somehow Casey Dickerson retained possession of the key card of the first cabin and right to use both cabins.
Once inside the cabin, the victim said that she was held down by Dickerson and some of the other males, and all took turns raping her. While the attack was going on, the victim’s female friend was being held by one of boys in the cabin’s bathroom. At one point, the victim said that Dickerson was having vaginal sex with her, stopped, and walked to the bathroom door to make sure the friend would not come out and tell the boy who was inside the bathroom with her to “get it on” and to “show her a good time”. While at the door, Dickerson also encouraged the two other boys who were holding the victim down to “switch” and take turn raping the victim.
After the attack, the victim could not stand up straight and one of her attackers threatened to hit her if she did not stay straight. As a result of the attack, the victim experienced vaginal bleeding and strangulation marks around her neck. After she was allowed to leave the cabin, she found her way to the ship’s infirmary where she received medical treatment and administered a rape kit.
FBI Agent Williams also interviewed three of the minor male passengers who took part in the attack. They confirmed the victim’s account after each had waived their Miranda rights. They also stated that Dickerson gave alcohol to both girls. Dickerson was the one who initiated the sexual assault by pulling down the victim’s pants, kissing her against her will and raping her vaginally. After the victim and her friend left, the three boys said that Dickerson told them he had ejaculated inside the minor child.
Dickerson was also interviewed by Special Agent Williams. After waiving his Miranda rights, he confessed to having purchased alcohol for one of the male passengers earlier on the cruise, and was then introduced to a larger group, which included the victim and her female friend. He confessed to having purchased alcohol for the two girls, because the other males had already had alcohol prior to coming to his cabin. Dickerson also said that he never knew how old the boys and girls were until after he was placed in the ship’s security room, and that he certainly did not know the victim was underage. One of the boys’ statement contradicted Dickerson’s claim however. The minor passenger stated that before everyone started drinking in the cabin, Dickerson asked everyone’s age and that the victim stated that she was 15.
Dickerson is being held in an Orange County jail without bond until trial. Click here to download the criminal complaint Complaint USA v. Dickerson.pdf.