OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. — A former Cyber Security Officer for the City of Kissimmee is accused of installing a hidden Wi-Fi camera in a public restroom on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship.
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According to a report from the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s San Juan Field Office, Jeremy Froias boarded the “Harmony of the Seas” in Miami on April 29 for a seven-day cruise scheduled for stops in Saint Maarten, San Juan, and the Bahamas before returning to Miami.
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The report says Froias installed the camera on April 30 in a restroom on the top deck of the ship, hidden in a section of the wall above the entrance that had been removed for repairs. The report says another passenger noticed the camera the next day and reported it to the ship’s crew.
The ship’s security searched the restroom and seized the hidden camera. According to the FBI, a very small lens was the only part of the camera that was visible.
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After reviewing the files on the memory card in the camera, investigators found several hours of video, beginning with clips showing Froias putting the camera in place and adjusting the angle of the lens so that it focused on the toilet area. The video also shows Froias checking his phone to make sure it was connected to the camera.
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According to the FBI, the other video files showed more than 150 people- including at least 40 children- either going into the restroom to use the toilet or changing into or out of their swimsuits. Some of the children in the video appeared to be as young as four or five years old, according the report.
Another video showed Froias returning to the camera at one point after he installed it to adjust the angel of the lens again. In that video, his phone can also be seen displaying the feed being captured by the camera.
Around midnight on May 1, Harmony of the Seas security personnel interviewed Froias about the camera. That’s when investigators say he admitted to placing it in the bathroom and said he knew the camera had been found because it was gone when he went back to look for it.
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Froias was arrested on May 9 on federal charges of video voyeurism and attempted possession of child exploitation material.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the City of Kissimmee confirmed Froias had been employed there as a cyber security officer since 2004. His employment was terminated upon their review of the charging documents in Froias’ case.
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