A cruise passenger who was installed a secret WIFI camera on a cruise ship sailing from Miami to the Caribbean and recorded more than 150 individuals, including many children, was released from prison last month after serving less than one year in a low security institution in Florida and paying only a $25 fine.
Jeremy Jonathan Froias previously pled guilty to installing a hidden Wi-Fi camera in a public bathroom on the Harmony of the Seas during a cruise in April 2023. The arresting FBI agent noted in an affidavit that Froias recorded “more than 150 individuals, including what appear to be at least 40 minors . . . some of the minors appeared to be as young as four or five years old.” The FBI agent who interviewed Froias also commented that Froias’s camera captured these individuals in various stages of undress, including capturing videos of their naked genitals, buttocks, and female breasts.”
You can read our initial reporting of this crime: FBI: Cruise Guest Arrested For Using Hidden Camera in Public Bathroom on Harmony of the Seas To Videotape More Than 150 Individuals Including At Least 40 Minors.
Froias previously worked as a “Cyber Security Officer” for the City of Kissimmee, Florida. Froias’s LinkedIn profile discloses that he worked in this capacity since November of 2022. Previously, Froias worked for the City of Kissimmee for the past nineteen years, first as a computer expert from 2004-2009 and then as a network engineer from 2009-November 2022. Froias’ photograph on LinkedIn is below:
Although criminal charges were filed against Froias for violating 18 U.S.C. §§ 1801 (video voyeurism) and 18 U.S.C. § 2252A(a)(5)(B) (attempted possession of child exploitation material), a plea bargain resulted in the U.S. government dismissing the charges involving the sexual exploitation of minors. Froias was required to admit guilt only for a single count of video voyeurism. The federal judge in Puerto Rico, Senior Judge Francisco A. Bebosa, sentenced Froias to just one year in a federal corrections facility, and recommended that he serve his time at “Coleman FCI” (Federal Correction Institute).
Coleman FCI is a far cry from a crowded, maximum security prison with prisoners facing hard time. Coleman FCI is a “Federal Correctional Institution designed for low security. These facilities are more likely to have dormitories or cubicle housing (divided into two and three-person pods), a higher staff-to-inmate ratio, and strong work and program components.” The sentencing judge specifically recommended that Froias be “provided with any available vocational training courses.” Coleman FCI is considered to be one of the “best federal prisons because it is known as a safe and easy place to do time.”
The judge’s lenient sentence also included a “special monetary assessment” of just $25.00, despite the fact that the federal video voyeurism statute carries a fine up to $100,000.00 per count on conviction. Putting aside the fact that the government could have charged Froais with as many as 150 counts of video voyeurism, each with up to a $100,000.00 fine (because he videotaped that many passengers and children), it is remarkably lenient to see him pay only one total fine of just $25.
The criminal judgment does not include any restitution to Froias’ numerous victims. The judgment reads “Restitution is applicable in this case. However as of today (May 23, 2024), victim impact statements have not been received.” It is difficult to understand how and why the court file didn’t contain a single statement from any of Froias’ 150 victims, other than to conclude that the government attorneys and the court were asleep at the wheel. The plea agreement specifically obligated the government to “advocate on behalf of any identified victim and comply with its obligations under the mandatory Victim Restitution Act of 1994.”
Froias seems to have essentially dodged any harsh treatment throughout his interaction with the legal system. Froias’ lenient treatment started when he was arrested and initially released on a minimal $25,000 bond. I was quoted discussing the inappropriately light bail amount at the time by the New York Times in its article titled F.B.I. Says Video Voyeur Hid Camera in Cruise Ship Bathroom:
“Jim Walker, a Miami-based maritime lawyer who has represented victims in other voyeurism cases, questioned the amount of the bond. ‘A $25,000 bond might be appropriate for a single victim, but considering there are at least 150 victims and many dozens of children, according to the F.B.I. affidavit, a bond should not be less than $1,000,000,’ he said.”
Unlike other sex offenders, Froias was initially released and permitted to live with his family and allowed to voluntarily surrender to begin his sentence at the institution designated by the Bureau of Prison. He was not handcuffed and shackled and taken against his will (like a recent crew member Theodore “Banks” Pappas, Jr., previously employed by Norwegian Cruise Line on the Norwegian Bliss, who was handcuffed and shackled, extradited, flown from los Angeles to Jacksonville, charged with 13 counts of possession of child sexual abuse materials and then subjected to a bond of $1,125,030.00).
Froias’ light sentence of just one year is to be sharply contrasted with the recent sentence of another video voyeur on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship, cabin attendant Arvin Joseph Mirasol, who hid spy cameras in passenger cabins on the Symphony of the Seas. A federal district court in Miami sentenced Mirasol to 30 years in prison.
Froias’ criminal court file contains numerous files deemed not for public viewing. We attempted to obtain insight into his unusually light sentence and accommodating treatment from his criminal defense lawyer Leonardo Aldridge. Mr. Aldridge refused to respond to our inquiries whether there were extenuating circumstances for the light sentence, why there was no financial penalty other than $25, and why the court did not receive any victim impact statements.
Froias is subject to supervised release now that he served his short incarceration. He commenced his term of supervised release on March 14, 2025 after he obtained a “Good Conduct Term Release” for reasons not evident in the court file.
Florida Sexual Offenders and Predators Database – JEREMY JONATHAN FROIAS
A final part of Froias’ sentence is that he has to register as a “sex offender” and his status would be made public. A database shows he has an address in Orlando with the caption “Offender, Minor Victim” and shows a mug shot (above).
As part of his favorable plea agreement, Froias had to stipulate that he placed a spy camera in the bathroom on the top deck of the Harmony of the Seas which recorded “several hours of .mp4 video files depicting numerous individuals, including minors, coming into the bathroom to either use the toilet or change out of their swimsuits.” His spy camera and SD card “revealed 12 hours worth of video footage portraying individuals of all ages in various stages of undress . . . including capturing videos of their naked genitals, buttocks and female breasts.”
Sentences for federal video voyeurism involving multiple minors may vary, but a minimum of 15 to 20 years seems more appropriate to me. Federal sentencing guidelines consider the age of the victim and the number of victims, among other factors. Given the barebone facts alleged in the complaint, which Froias pled guilty to, its appears that his sentence was grossly lenient. This may explain why the U.S. Attorneys Office, which routinely issues press releases when sexual offenders are sentenced for their crimes, did not see fit to release a press statement mentioning Froias’s sweet deal.
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Image credit: Jeffrey Froias – LinkedIn; Spy Camera in Bathroom – FBI; Jeremy Froias – Florida Department of Law Enforcement via TCPalm.