Cruise ship passenger from Iceland to Boston charged with sexually assaulting crew member

A Minnesota man faces charges of sexual assault on a cruise ship from Iceland to Boston last summer, according to federal prosecutors in Massachusetts.

Daniel Farias, 45, of Bloomington, Minnesota, will appear in federal court in Boston on Friday, according to news release from the Massachusetts US Attorney’s Office.

The man is accused of sexually assaulting a male crew member on Aug. 30, 2022, while aboard the Celebrity Summit cruise ship, according to charging documents. The alleged assault took place in the men’s room, where a crew member had gone in the early hours of the morning to clean up, the documents said.

Farias began rubbing the victim’s forearm when he pulled his hand away and asked Farias what he was doing, the documents state. Farias then allegedly used both hands to grab the victim’s genitals over his clothing and made a “sexually suggestive” comment.

According to the indictment, Farias apologized and asked the victim not to report what happened before leaving the restroom.

A charge of forcible sexual contact carries a penalty of up to two years in prison, up to one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000

The passenger was indicted by a federal grand jury, authorities said Saturday. It was not immediately known whether he was represented by a lawyer.

According to the company websiteCelebrity Summit is 965 feet long and can seat more than 22,200 people.