Cruise Passengers Accused of Possessing Child Sexual
Federal authorities have charged two South Florida men in separate cases after allegedly discovering child sexual abuse material on their cell phones during inspections at PortMiami following a cruise. Although the men arrived aboard the same cruise ship, investigators say the cases are unrelated and stem from independent searches conducted by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers.
The arrests occurred after the Norwegian cruise ship returned to PortMiami on July 24. During routine enforcement operations, customs officers selected multiple passengers for secondary inspections, including Steve Lawson, 45, of Plantation, and Michael Simmons, 40. According to federal prosecutors, forensic examinations of their electronic devices led to separate criminal investigations.
Wedding Photographer Accused of Downloading Illegal Content
Lawson, a wedding photographer, has been charged with possession and transportation of child sexual abuse material. According to a federal criminal complaint, investigators allegedly found multiple videos depicting the sexual abuse of minors stored on his cellphone.
Prosecutors allege that one of the videos contained a lengthy compilation involving more than 100 underage girls engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Court documents also claim Lawson admitted purchasing one of the videos using cryptocurrency while aboard the cruise ship after becoming sexually interested in seeing girls wearing bikinis on board. Those allegations have been made by prosecutors and have not been proven in court.
Lawson’s attorneys acknowledged the seriousness of the charges in a public statement but emphasized that the case remains in its early stages and that they will continue working through the legal process on his behalf.
Second Passenger Charged in Separate Investigation
In a separate criminal complaint, Michael Simmons faces a charge of production of child sexual abuse material after investigators allegedly discovered videos on his cellphone depicting young girls showering.
According to prosecutors, the videos were recorded in 2014 and involved girls who were friends of Simmons’ daughter. Federal investigators allege Simmons admitted to recording the footage himself during questioning. If convicted, the production charge carries some of the most severe penalties under federal child exploitation laws.
As of the latest court filings, Simmons’ attorney had not publicly commented on the allegations.
Federal Investigation Continues
Authorities stressed that the two investigations are entirely separate despite both men arriving on the same cruise ship. The cases were developed after customs officers conducted independent searches of electronic devices during the passengers’ return to the United States.
Both defendants remain in federal custody and are scheduled to appear in federal court for arraignment on Aug. 10.
Federal officials continue to investigate the cases. As with all criminal proceedings, both men are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
