Carnival crew members arrested on child pornography charges

Two Carnival Cruise Line crew members were arrested earlier this month on child pornography charges.

During a July 18 search after Reza Heta Pratama disembarked from the Carnival Valor in New Orleans, Louisiana, law enforcement found what appeared to be material depicting child sexual abuse on his phone and laptop. He was ordered to leave the ship after being fired over complaints from co-workers about sexual harassment, according to an affidavit signed by Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent Jessica Zuppardo.

Pratama, who is from Indonesia, told law enforcement he received child pornography from groups on Telegram and admitted to having it in his photo gallery.

Days earlier, law enforcement also found child sexual abuse material on Abdhul Rouvoof Shaik’s WhatsApp account when he disembarked from the Carnival Liberty in port on July 14. Shaik, who is from India, said “his ‘friend’ put him in a ‘group’ where children have sex,” according to an affidavit filed by HSI Special Agent Brian Villaflor.