SAN FRANCISCO — Federal prosecutors say they uncovered a scheme between two cruise ship employees to trade sexually explicit videos for child pornography, and that during the investigation it was discovered one of the defendants had allegedly sexually abused a teen girl in 2020.
On July 11, Angelo Victor Fernandes, 34, was arrested at the San Francisco International Airport in connection with a federal prosecution in Florida, where he is charged with possessing child pornography. On July 14, a federal magistrate in the Bay Area ordered Fernandes to be extradited to the Southern District of Florida to face the charge. He remains in custody for now.
The charging records allege that Fernandes had a sexual interest in a cruise ship colleague named Daniel Crow, who “exploited” that interest by agreeing to send Fernandes videos of himself masturbating in exchange for child pornography. It is alleged that starting in January, Fernandes sent Crow a series of videos depicting prepubescent children being sexually abused and that Crow responded with approval, describing one video as “perfect” and asking Fernandes where he got it.
Crow, meanwhile, faces more serious charges of enticing a minor and producing child pornography, and faces a possible life sentence if convicted. Prosecutors allege that he met a teen girl while on a cruise ship to Alaska and began a “sexual relationship” with her, which culminated with him filming himself sexually abusing her in a hotel room in Florida.
Before the two allegedly met in the hotel room, Crow solicited sexually explicit videos from the girl, coaching her about how to shoot them and what he wanted, according to the criminal complaint.
Various child pornography files were found on Crow’s phone when it was searched during a flight inspection last April, the complaint alleges. Crow has pleaded not guilty and remains in federal custody, pending the outcome of his case.
Source: www.mercurynews.com