A Florida man is facing federal charges after U.S. authorities allegedly discovered child sexual abuse material on his mobile phone during a secondary inspection at PortMiami following a Bahamas cruise aboard Norwegian Getaway.
According to a federal criminal complaint, Steve Lee Lawson, 45, arrived at PortMiami on July 24th after completing an NCL-Norwegian Cruise Line voyage to the Bahamas. Homeland Security Investigations opened the case after U.S. Customs and Border Protection referred him for a secondary inspection upon his return to the United States.
Investigators allege that officers examining Lawson's phone found 14 videos containing child sexual abuse material stored within the Telegram messaging application. Court documents state that one of the videos was more than an hour in length and allegedly contained a compilation involving more than 100 minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
The complaint further alleges that Telegram records indicated the videos were received on July 23rd, while Norwegian Getaway was alongside in the Bahamas. According to investigators, Lawson admitted purchasing the material from an unidentified individual through Telegram during the voyage using cryptocurrency as payment.
Federal prosecutors have charged Lawson with possession of visual depictions involving the sexual exploitation of minors and transportation of visual depictions involving the sexual exploitation of minors. Following his arrest, he was remanded to a federal detention facility in Miami pending further legal proceedings.
In a statement released through legal counsel, Lawson's attorneys acknowledged the seriousness of the allegations and indicated that they would work through the judicial process while seeking a fair resolution to the case.
For more Norwegian Getaway incidents and accidents, see the ship's CruiseMinus page