Passenger on cruise ship from Iceland to Boston accused of sexually assaulting crewmember
A Minnesota man is facing a charge of abusive sexual contact while on a cruise ship from Iceland to Boston this past summer, according to federal prosecutors in Massachusetts.
Daniel Farias, 45, of Bloomington, Minn., will appear in federal court in Boston on Friday, according to a news release from the office of the U.S. attorney for Massachusetts.
The man is accused of sexually assaulting a male crewmember on Aug. 30, 2022, while aboard the Celebrity Summit Cruise Ship, according to the charging documents. The alleged assault happened in a men's restroom that the crew member had entered in the early morning hours to clean, the documents say.
Farias began rubbing the victim's forearm when he pulled his arm away and asked Farias what he was doing, the documents say. Farias then allegedly used both his hands to grab the victim's genitalia over his clothes and made a "sexually explicit" comment.
According to the charging documents, Farias apologized and asked the victim not to report what happened before leaving the restroom.
The charge of abusive sexual contact provides for a sentence of up to two years in prison, up to one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000
The passenger was indicted by a federal grand jury, authorities said Saturday. It was not immediately known if he is being represented by an attorney.
According to the company's website, the Celebrity Summit is 965 feet long and can hold more than 2,2200 people.