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A crew member working aboard a Royal Caribbean cruise was arrested on Sunday after he was accused of placing hidden cameras in guest bathrooms to record footage of women and young girls undressing.
Arvin Joseph Mirasol, 34, was arrested after a traveller on the Symphony of the Seas cruise ship on Feb. 25 discovered a camera discreetly placed in the bathroom attached to the cabin where she and her two daughters were staying.
Mirasol, who is from the Philippines, was employed as a stateroom attendant tasked with cleaning cabins and supplying amenities like towels.
WPLG in Miami obtained the affidavit from Broward Sheriff’s Office, which claimed the camera was found “affixed to the counter underneath the sink.” Police said the woman and her daughters were recorded using the cabin bathroom several times before the camera was identified.
The passenger immediately alerted security officers onboard the ship.
Mirasol was arrested when the cruise ship arrived in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., last weekend. Prior to docking, Mirasol was held in a confinement room on the vessel.
He’s been charged in the state of Florida with six counts of voyeurism, though he’s also been federally charged with production and possession of child pornography.
The Symphony of the Seas left its port in South Florida on Feb. 24, only one day before the hidden camera was discovered.
However, this was not the first and only time Mirasol was an illegal voyeur on the ship. WPLG reported Mirasol admitted to federal agents that he’d begun spying on women and girls quickly after gaining employment on the Symphony of the Seas in December 2023.
Mirasol said he’d hidden cameras in several different rooms. A federal document to do with the child pornography charges said a USB found in Mirasol’s possession contained “numerous videos of naked females undressing in the bathroom as well as videos of child pornography.”
Authorities said one of the girls, who appeared to be around the age of 10, was recorded nude in the shower.
Homeland Security Investigations agents confiscated Mirasol’s electronics.
He told investigators he couldn’t stop himself from hiding the cameras.
“I want to control it, but I can’t,” he said, adding, “If I like who is in that room, I place it.”
While acknowledging the illegality of his actions, Mirasol also told authorities he would occasionally enter the rooms of guests while they showered and would “hide under the bed while recording them naked with his cellular device.”
A Royal Caribbean spokesperson told WPLG the company has “zero tolerance for this unacceptable behavior.”
“We immediately reported this to law enforcement and terminated the crew member, and we will continue to fully cooperate with authorities,” the statement concludes.
WSVN reported Mirasol appeared in federal court on Monday and was ordered detained until his trial.
The public defender assigned to Mirasol has not commented publicly on the charges against him.
Be aware of your surroundings when travelling
It is important for travellers to be aware of their surroundings at all times when in new environments. Though rare, hidden cameras — be it a discreetly-placed cellphone or savvier spy gear — can be placed in public restrooms, hotel rooms and other areas.
Travellers are encouraged to be wary of suspicious-looking objects or crevices in the bathrooms and bedrooms of accommodations. Turning off the lights and using a flashlight is recommended to identify whether or not a lens may be hidden is effective, as a camera lens will shine and reflect the light.
The fingernail test is also an easy way to determine if a mirror in an accommodation or dressing room is two-way. To conduct the test, touch the surface of the mirror with your fingertip. If there is a gap between your finger and the reflection, it is probably not a two-way mirror — otherwise, the helpful expression,” No space, leave this place,” should remind travellers of the rule.
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