Third Disney Cruise Staffer Arrested for Possession of Underage Images

A crew member from Disney Cruise Line has been detained and faces charges related to possessing materials that exploited children.

Tirso Anthony Neri, 44, is the third Disney Cruise Line employee charged with possession this year. Neri was a crew member on the Disney Dream sailing out of Port Everglades until his arrest.

According to an indictment filed in the US District Court for the Southern District of Florida this week, Neri’s two smartphone devices contained numerous “explicit photos and videos of young children.”

It followed a search of Neri’s cabin by Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents.

Charges Filed for Possession and Transportation of Images

Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent Eric Stowers said the content featured teens and small children.

In the interviews, Neri claimed that he purchased and downloaded adult material from various chat groups on Telegram and Facebook Messenger and wasn’t aware it included child content. However, the indictment says the images were viewed and saved on Neri’s two smartphones.

The complaint said the age of some young children “could not be determined” in the videos and photos. However, others were saved in folders with a name and age.

Neri was detained when the Disney Dream arrived in Port Everglades from the Bahamas. He faces counts of possession and transportation of CSAM and is being held in the Broward Main Jail with no bond.

“In accordance with our zero-tolerance policy for this kind of alleged behavior, this individual is no longer with the company,” a Disney Cruise line spokesperson said.

This is the third similar case this year of Disney cruise ship crew members being indicted. Separate cases of image possession were filed against Alvin Gonzales, 49, and Amiel Trazo, 28.