Two passengers sailing on Royal Caribbean's Independence of the Seas were arrested after being accused of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old boy.
Ricardo Daniel Mondragon Leal, 37, and Jose Prudencio Diaz, 36, of Mexico City were arrested in Miami, Florida, on Friday, March 21, on multiple criminal charges, including lewd and lascivious molestation of a child.
According to arrest reports from the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, the crimes happened on Thursday, Mar. 20, in the ship's sauna, Miami Local 10 News reported.
Deputies said Prudencio Diaz exposed himself in Independence of the Seas' sauna. He then proceeded to masturbate in front of the boy and forced him to inappropriately touch him.
Mondragon Leal allegedly also masturbated in front of the teenager and forced him to perform oral sex on him. The arrest reports say that he also performed oral sex on the victim.
Both men were arrested when Independence of the Seas returned to PortMiami on Friday, Mar. 21. In addition to facing charges for lewd and lascivious molestation of a child, they are facing charges for lewd and lascivious exhibition on a child.
Mondragon Leal additionally faces a count of child sexual battery, while Prudencio Diaz faces a charge of sex with a victim without informing them of his HIV status.
The latter is being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center in Miami-Dade County, and Mondragon Leal is being held at the Metrowest Detention Center. According to jail records, both were jailed without bond and on immigration holds.
"The defendant, in this case, acting in concert with another defendant, they were both on a cruise," a prosecutor said during the court hearing on Saturday, Mar. 22, "This shows that they tried to target a specific minor, and this could be done again," as reported by NBC6 South Florida.
Royal Caribbean has not issued a statement about the incident.
Elizabeth Wright
Elizabeth graduated from New York University's Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute with her M.A. in Journalism in May 2023. Growing up, she traveled frequently with her family and fell in love with cruising after sailing on the Oasis of the Seas during her freshman year of high school. Having sailed on nearly 30 cruises across different lines, including Royal Caribbean, Carnival, MSC, and Princess, she loves sharing her insight and expertise on all things cruising!
