Adam Christopher Boyd, 30, of Bay Springs, Mississippi has been charged with one count of sexual abuse of a minor in violation of 18 U.S.C. 2243(a). Boyd was arrested by Bermuda Police after the 15-year-old victim reported the rape to ship security while the ship was docked in Bermuda and is currently awaiting extradition to the United States.

Boyd and the victim were passengers onboard a seven-day cruise traveling from Boston, Massachusetts to Bermuda.  Per the Affidavit in Support of Criminal Complaint, on the evening of August 13, 2017 and into the early morning hours of August 14, 2017, the minor had been consuming alcohol with other individuals he met on the cruise.  While walking on deck 13 at approximately 1:12 a.m., the minor came across a group of people he met during the cruise. Boyd was within the group but the minor had not previously met him.  According to the victim at some point he and Boyd had a conversation during which Boyd told him he was a hairdresser and asked him how old he was and he responded that he was 15.

At some point the minor asked if someone in the group would escort him back to his room expressing concern over his father seeing him intoxicated. Boyd offered to escort him and per reports, the minor walked away with Boyd to a stairwell where Boyd began kissing him and touching his genitals, then faced him away from him and raped him.  The minor immediately reported the assault to the group he was with earlier in the night and then to ship security after reporting it to a family member with whom he was traveling.

In the context of passenger upon passenger assaults, cruise lines owe passengers the duty of reasonable care under the circumstances. To establish a breach of this duty, a victim generally would have to establish that the cruise line either knew or should have known of the propensity of the perpetrator to commit such a crime.  However, in instances where the cruise line creates a dangerous condition, the victim need not establish that the cruise line had notice of the condition.  Here, it is obvious that the cruise line created a risk of harm by the service of alcohol to a minor, which clearly put him in a dangerous situation and which can be directly linked to the harm he suffered.

Unfortunately, our firm has seen an increase in the number of sexual assaults on board cruise vessels, specifically involving minors.  At this time, we represent three sexual assault victims and two of those involve minor victims.  For more detailed information concerning sexual assault and rape on board cruise ships, we invite you to visit our Cruise Ship Rape Attorneys and Miami Sexual Assault Lawyers page.