The cruise passenger, Jeremy Froias, arrested by the FBI for putting in a secret WiFi digital camera within the unisex public lavatory on the highest deck of the Harmony of the Seas final week was launched by a federal decide in San Juan Tuesday morning after his spouse posted a $25,000 bond.
We previously reported on this crime which has now obtained nationwide consideration.
You can learn the affidavit by a FBI agent concerned within the arrest which incorporates an outline of the crime and pictures of the toilet and digital camera.
The federal courtroom case quantity 3:23-mj-00487-GLS convened a “detention hearing” Tuesday morning the place Froias’ felony protection lawyer argued for a low bond for his launch from federal custody. The federal decide launched him with the next phrases and situations:
“Defendant is to be released subject to the qualification of his wife as a TPC (i.e., “third party custodian”). Defendant is to submit a $25,000 unsecured bond to be signed by him and the TPC. He is to reside on the handle of file. Defendant is to not have unsupervised contact with any minors below the age of 18, together with his two kids. His two kids will reside on the alternate handle proposed by counsel (grandparents’ residence). The Defendant is to be topic to an EMD (i.e., “electronic monitoring device”) in residence detention modality. He is to hunt and preserve employment. Defendant is to not have any entry to the web, together with in his residence or at work (which appears not possible given the obvious undeniable fact that he works as a cyber skilled with a background of a few years working with computer systems and laptop networks). He is to give up his passport. Travel is restricted between Puerto Rico and Middle District of Florida (the place he lives and works). All different journey is topic to approval and coordination with the USPO (U.S.parole officer) and the Court. Courtesy supervision to be coordinated with the Middle District of Florida . . ,”
A $25,000 bond appears inappropriate, given proof Froias secretly transmitted photographs and videotaped “more than 150 individuals” together with “what appears to be at least 40 minors,” together with some “minors (who) appeared to be as young as four or five years old” (per the FBI affidavit filed into the courtroom submitting).
Several newspapers reported that Froias labored as a “Cyber Security Officer” for the City of Kissimmee, Florida. Froias’s LinkedIn profile discloses that he labored on this capability since November of 2022. Previously, Froias labored for the City of Kissimmee for the previous nineteen years, first as a pc skilled from 2004-2009 after which as a community engineer from 2009-November 2022. Froias’ {photograph} on LinkedIn is under:
During such employment, Froias clearly developed the pc abilities which enabled him to secretly set up a WiFi digital camera to not solely file photographs of passengers and their kids within the lavatory however to transmit the photographs to his iPhone utilizing the cruise ship’s web.
The Washington Post, in an article titled Cruise Passenger Arrested For Filming 150 People In Ship Bathroom, reported that the “public affairs manager for Kissimmee (a Central Florida city near Walt Disney World) said in an email that Froias was originally hired in April of 2004.” But “after reviewing the charging affidavit involving Jeremy Froias, we have terminated his employment effective May 8, 2023.”
We have obtained a variety of feedback about this incident. Many passengers are upset that Royal Caribbean didn’t notify them in the course of the the rest of the cruise (from May 2-6, 2023) or after they returned residence:
- “He’s an actual creep, i guess his residence laptop is filled with rubbish, i want they blast his image too.
- Sure do hope there’s a solution to discover out what else he has in his residence. Would like to see him severely punished.
- This is completely disgusting! Royal Caribbean didn’t inform passengers AT ALL
My household was on that cruise and we used that loo to vary our 2 yr outdated son (who was 1 on the time) I’m 99% certain we had been recorded. - Was on that cruise disappointing Royal has not notified all of the passengers on board.
- I can say nobody in my celebration was notified.
- I used to be on that ship. I didn’t obtain notification both. Thankfully we didn’t use that restroom. This particular person is sick within the head. Who is aware of the place that 24hr value of feed ended up.
- I used to be on that ship as effectively and presumably victimized in addition to my husband and son.”
My household was on that cruise and we used that loo to vary our 2 yr outdated son (who was 1 on the time) I’m 99% certain we had been recorded. 
We advocate that cruise passengers who had been on this cruise and went into the toilet in query, notify the hyperlink offered by the FBI in addition to seek the advice of with a maritime lawyer aware of the crime of video voyeurism.
May 10, 2023 Update:
the New York Times coated the story right now, in an article titled: F.B.I. Says Video Voyeur Hid Camera in Cruise Ship Bathroom, writing:
“Jim Walker, a Miami-based maritime lawyer who has represented victims in other voyeurism cases, questioned the amount of the bond. “A $25,000 bond might be appropriate for a single victim, but considering there are at least 150 victims and many dozens of children, according to the F.B.I. affidavit, a bond should not be less than $1,000,000,” he stated. He stated he has been contacted by passengers who had been on the Harmony of the Seas in the course of the incident.
Passengers stated Royal Caribbean had did not notify them concerning the hidden digital camera throughout and after the crusing. They stated they discovered by the media and an F.B.I. discover searching for to establish potential victims.
‘It’s terrifying that passengers and their kids had been filmed secretly whereas they had been bare utilizing the toilet,’ stated April Wise, 52, who was on the cruise together with her husband and niece. ‘Thankfully, we didn’t use that loo, however 1000’s of individuals had been on the ship they usually nonetheless don’t know in the event that they had been filmed or not. It’s unacceptable that Royal Caribbean has not contacted the victims.’”
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Image credit score: Jeremy Froias – LinkedIn.