A man was arrested after allegedly kissing a 5-year-old girl on a cruise ship.
Ernest Richard Bishop Jr., 51, was arrested by Miami-Dade police on Monday after the Carnival Sunrise returned to port in Miami, local TV station WPLG reported. He was charged with lewd and lascivious conduct.
According to the station, the arrest report says the girl’s father witnessed Bishop kiss the girl on the mouth while the vessel was at sea on Saturday night.
Bishop, of Morning View, Kentucky, declined to speak with Miami-Dade police after his arrest, according to the report. He was released after posting a $7,500 bond, WPLG reported. Miami-Dade Police have been contacted for comment.
“Following a complaint, the Carnival Sunrise security team investigated a matter over the weekend, followed proper protocol, and notified shoreside law enforcement, which has since taken action,” a Carnival Cruise Line spokesperson told Newsweek.
The spokesperson added: “The guest in question has been banned from all future cruising on Carnival.”
The Carnival Sunrise is one of 26 ships listed on the Carnival Cruise Line website. Boasting a guest capacity of almost 3,000, the ship left Miami on September 29 for a four-day cruise to Key West, Florida, and Cozumel, Mexico.
The alleged incident aboard the ship comes just weeks after police in Massachusetts and the FBI launched an investigation into a report of a sexual assault on a Norwegian Cruise Line ship.
The Massachusetts State Police said they were called to the Norwegian Breakaway at about 7:15 p.m. on September 13 while it was docked at Boston’s Black Falcon Terminal.
Dave Procopio, a spokesman for the state police, told local news station WBZ-TV that their investigation “revealed the alleged assault took place previously while the ship was making way somewhere between Providence and Boston.” The alleged victim and suspect are both ship employees, according to Procopio.
Sexual misconduct is the top crime reported on cruise ships, according to Cruise Law News, which is run by maritime lawyer Jim Walker.
According to data from the Department of Transportation (DOT), there were nine reports of sexual assault on Carnival Cruise Line ships between April 1 and June 30 this year. Ten reports were made on Royal Caribbean ships during that period, while three were made on Princess Cruises ships, two were made on Norwegian Cruise Line ships and another two on Virgin ships.
According to Cruise Law News, Carnival leads the cruise industry with the most reports of sexual assaults. It has a per capita rate of nearly 40 per 100,000 people.
Cruise Ship Passenger Caught Kissing 5-Year-Old Girl on Board, Police Say
- Advertisment - 
Recent Comments
on CONCEPT ART: New Details Revealed for Disney Cruise Line Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point Destination
on “Completely Knocked Me Out”: Rob Lowe Recalls Boxing Match With Tom Cruise On 1983 Brat Pack Classic
on CBS Sports announces Matt Ryan will join NFL studio show. Longtime analysts Simms and Esiason depart
on Carlos Sainz’s Soccer Fanboy Emerges as Spaniard Shares Defining Moment With This Real Madrid Legend
on Biden: ‘At this point I’m not’ planning to visit East Palestine, Ohio, after toxic train derailment
on ‘Best Intention’: Chris Kirk Has Absolute Trust in Jay Monahan and PGA Tour’s Widely Debated Model
on Ahead of big sports weekend, dispute with Disney leaves millions of cable subscribers in the dark
on A heavy wave of Russian missile attacks pounds areas across Ukraine, killing at least 4 civilians
on 2024 Super Bowl: CBS Sports Network and CBS Sports HQ to combine for 115 hours of weeklong coverage
on 2023 NFL All-Rookie Team: CBS Sports draft expert, former GM unveil league’s best first-year players
on Army vs. Coastal Carolina live stream, how to watch online, CBS Sports Network channel finder, odds
on AL Rookie of the Year Julio Rodriguez Spreads Joy and Sportsmanship to the Youth of Loma de Cabrera
on After UFC Fallout, Conor McGregor Offers a Valuable Piece of Advice to Free Agent Francis Ngannou
on Dubai International Airport sees 41.6 million passengers in first half of year, more than in 2019
on Devout athletes find strength in their faith. But practicing it and elite sports can pose hurdles
on Despite strong Lunar New Year holiday data, consumer spending in China isn’t roaring back just yet
on Dave Portnoy: Taylor Swift’s security should ‘drag Kim Kardashian to jail’ if she attends Eras Tour
on CONCEPT ART: New Details Revealed for Disney Cruise Line Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point Destination
on “Completely Knocked Me Out”: Rob Lowe Recalls Boxing Match With Tom Cruise On 1983 Brat Pack Classic
on CBS Sports, Serie A announce new TV rights deal; Paramount+ to air over 400 Italian soccer matches
on Cam Newton’s Violent Public Incident Draws Hilarious Reaction From 3x All-Star: “Where Do I Sign Up
on Boston College vs. Army live stream, how to watch online, CBS Sports Network channel finder, odds
on Angel Reese Launches Foundation Dedicated To Empowering Women Through Sports & Financial Literacy
on A weaker dollar, skyrocketing prices and ‘record’ visitor numbers: Good luck in Europe this summer