A man who was employed by the city of Kissimmee as a cyber security officer secretly recorded more than 150 people, including children, using the bathroom on a seven-day cruise from Miami, according to the FBI.
Court records show that on April 29, Jeremy Froias, 41, boarded the week-long Harmony of the Seas cruise, which was set to make stops at Saint Maarten, San Juan and the Bahamas before its return on May 6.
Agents said on April 30, Froias set up a hidden Wi-Fi camera in a public bathroom aft of the ship’s top deck.
[TRENDING: Become a News 6 Insider]
The hidden camera was placed in a section of the wall above the door, which had been removed for repairs, agents said.
At about 7 p.m. on May 1, another passenger found the camera and reported it to the ship’s crew, a criminal complaint shows.
Investigators said a Micro SD card in the camera contained several hours’ worth of footage of the bathroom.
The video also shows Froias setting up the camera to focus on the toilet before apparently connecting his phone to the camera, agents said.
Additional video shows more than 150 people — at least 40 of whom appear to be children — coming into the bathroom to either use the toilet or change clothes, the affidavit explains.
Agents said Froias admitted to placing the hidden camera in the bathroom.
The city of Kissimmee confirmed Froias was employed as a cyber security officer at the time of his arrest; however, the city said it has since terminated his employment.
City officials said Froias was hired in April 2004.
“At the time of his hire and throughout his employment he met all background check requirements to hold the position,” a spokesperson for the city said. “We have no indications at this time that would raise concerns of any illegal activity being performed while on duty.”
Meanwhile, Royal Caribbean released the following statement after Froias’ arrest:
“We are aware of an incident that occurred on board Harmony of the Seas’ April 29 cruise. The matter was immediately reported to local and federal law enforcement and the guest involved was removed from the ship by authorities for further investigation. As this is an active case, we are unable to share any more details at this time.”
Royal Caribbean
Cruise ship expert Stewart Chiron told News 6 that while concerning, there’s not much that a lot of cruise lines can do to prevent these sorts of issues.
“Technology is available, and these cameras are getting smaller, and we just need to be a little more cognizant of what we do in public facilities...” Chiron said. “We have to continue to live our lives. We have to continue to move forward.”
The FBI’s San Juan Division announced the agency is seeking victims of Froias, who faces charges of video voyeurism and attempted possession of child exploitation material. He was arrested and held on $25,000 bond.
If you or your children were victimized by Froias or have information relevant to the investigation, FBI officials urge you to fill out a short form, which can be found here.
Alternatively, you can contact FBI investigators by reaching out to Harmonycruisevictims@fbi.gov.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: