Law enforcement discovered the sexually explicit images and photos of minors during a search of Koen Leonard Eyck’s electronic devices at Port Everglades upon his arrival on Saturday, according to an arrest affidavit signed by Homeland Security Investigations special agent Michelle Maglione. Eyck, 35, was working on the line’s Nieuw Statendam ship.
Child sexual abuse material showing children as young as between the ages of 4 and 6 was discovered in WhatsApp and Telegram chats on Eyck’s iPhone, the affidavit added. The Dutch citizen is further accused of having paid $35 for links carrying child pornography in March 2023.
According to the affidavit, Eyck told law enforcement that he used PayPal to pay for child sexual abuse material and received links through WhatsApp, Telegram, and Facebook Messenger.
The accused admitted to receiving links for child sex abuse material for the past 5-10 years. He stated that he knew that it is ‘illegal to possess child pornography all over the world.
He has been charged with child pornography transport and possession of child pornography. Attorneys that represented Eyck did not reply right away to an offer to comment.
It is not an isolated incident in the last months; this case joins two crew members from Carnival Cruise Line, arrested on charges of child pornography, back in July, as well as an employee from Celebrity Cruises and three members from Disney Cruise Line arrested for a similar charge between January and April.
