cruise ship crime

A cruise ship worker who was accused of possessing child sex abuse material on his cellphone was found by police at Port Everglades, according to reporting from Channel 10 News.

Koen Leonard Eyck, 35, was charged with transportation and possession of child pornography. Eyck was working on Holland America Line’s Nieuw Statendam and has since been fired, according to reporting from Channel 10. There has been no official confirmation as to what role he fulfilled on board.

When the ship docked in Porty Everglades on Dec. 14, U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents searched Eyck’s electronic devices. On it, they found his participation in a WhatsApp group chat dedicated to sharing the child sex abuse material and a $35 electronic payment allegedly used to pay for additional illegal material. When questioned, Eyck admitted to receiving the links for anywhere between five to 10 years.

The Department of Transportation has reported a decrease in crime on cruise ships compared to numbers from earlier this year, data shows.

The latest available data from the Department of Transportation shows there have been about eight assaults with serious bodily injury, one suspicious death, one missing person, nine sexual assaults and 16 rape cases aboard ships reported to authorities. These incidents are alleged to have taken place from April to June 2024. Cruise lines with ships sailing to or from the United States are required to report criminal activity to the FBI such as sexual assaults, missing persons, physical assaults, property crimes and other alleged criminal activity every quarter, per the Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act.

A Look at the Numbers

Articles Tagged with cruise ship crime

Cruise ship worker accused with possessing child sex abuse material caught by police at Port Everglades, officials say

Data shows cruise crime rates have dropped in the first half of 2024. Here’s a look at Leesfield & Partners’ experience with this growing industry