An MSC Cruises lifeguard was arrested after authorities accused him of engaging in sexual activity with an underage guest aboard a Caribbean voyage.
An MSC Cruises lifeguard was arrested for allegedly having sexual contact with an underage guest.
Rafael Cayetano Blanco, a 38-year-old from Guatemala, met the 17-year-old victim aboard MSC World America on Aug. 16, according to an arrest affidavit filed in Miami-Dade County.
They exchanged phone numbers and the victim later went to Blanco’s cabin on multiple occasions.
The ship left from Miami on Aug. 15 for a cruise with scheduled stops in Honduras, Mexico and the Bahamas, according to CruiseMapper.
An attorney for Blanco did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
“On discovery of a breach of conduct by a crew member and an alleged criminal act, we immediately contacted the relevant law enforcement authorities,” MSC told USA TODAY in an emailed statement. “We fully supported the investigation and provided every assistance to the guest. The crew member concerned has been dismissed.”
Blanco was charged with sexual activity with a minor. The news comes after Customs and Border Protection and Homeland Security Investigations arrested nearly a dozen crew members from Norwegian Cruise Line and Holland America Line ships in mid-August for allegedly receiving and distributing images of child sexual abuse.
Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at ndiller@usatoday.com.