Newspapers in the U.K. are reporting that a former child supervisor who worked on Cunard cruise ships admitted to the police that he sexually abused children on cruise ships.

Two months ago we reported on the arrest of Paul Trotter, who worked on Cunard’s Queen Mary 2, Queen Elizabeth, and Queen Victoria cruise ships. Police arrested him on allegations that he sexually assaulted a minor on a Cunard cruise ship.  Child predators of course don’t abuse just one victim.  Our blog in February was entitled "Did Cunard Child Supervisor Molest Other Children During Cruises?"

Well now we know that he has admitted to sexually abusing at least thirteen (13) children between Paul Trotter - Cunard Child Sexual PredatorNovember 2007 and August 2011.  

According to the Daily Echo newspaper in the U.K., Trotter was also in possession of graphic film of the children he abused on the cruise ships. A police spokesperson said:

”The contents of his computer were examined and revealed that he had filmed himself abusing children in his care.

Many of these films were made on board three cruise ships operated by Cunard, where Trotter was employed in the children’s play zone area."

Here’s the account from the Independent newspaper in London:

"A former Cunard cruise ship worker has admitted carrying out sex attacks on 13 boys while working as a supervisor for a children’s activity area.

Paul Trotter, 34, pleaded guilty to a string of sexual assaults and taking, making and possessing indecent images of children, most of whom were under the age of 13 at the time.

The supervisor made films of himself abusing the children in his care on board three cruise ships, operated by Cunard. He also possessed other indecent images of children he had obtained online.

In a statement Cunard, part of the Carnival Corporation group and owners of the Costa Concordia which ran aground earlier this year, said it was "deeply shocked" by Trotter’s ‘appalling crimes’.

It added he had avoided detection despite a number of safeguards, including having had his criminal record checked.

Trotter, from Pontefract, West Yorkshire, appeared at Swindon Crown Court, dressed in a suit and purple tie.

He admitted 12 counts of sexual assaulting a child under the age of 13, one count of sexual activity with a child under the age of 13, five counts of taking indecent images of a child, five of making indecent images of a child and one of possessing indecent images of a child.

The offences were committed from November 2007 to August 2011 when he arrested by Wiltshire Police’s child abuse investigation unit.

Judge Douglas Field told Trotter, who was living in Wiltshire at the time of his arrest, he would be held in custody to return before the same court on May 11 for sentencing.

He also ordered him to sign the sexual offences register before he was taken back to prison."

The revelation of a prolific cruise ship child sexual predator comes at a bad time for Carnival (which owns Cunard) and the cruise industry in general.  First, the Costa Concordia capsized leaving 32 dead. Earlier this week Carnival was under siege for the outrageous conduct of a Princess cruise ship which ignored the distress pleas from a disabled fishing boat.  Two young men (ages 16 and 24) died. Carnival also owns Princess and Costa cruise lines.  

Think sexual abuse of children on cruises is rare?  Read our articles about the danger here.

 

Sources:

Independent newspaper

Swindon Advertiser

Read our first article about Paul Trotter here.