Israeli arrested aboard cruise ship in Florida over child sex abuse material
Basilios Grayeb, 29, from Haifa held on $2,500 bond after police find video on his phone; ICE issues immigration hold
An Israeli man was arrested on Monday at PortMiami in Florida on board a Royal Caribbean ship on suspicion of possessing child sex abuse material, according to a report from the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office.
Police said they arrested 29-year-old Basilios Grayeb, from the northern Israel city of Haifa, after receiving a “suspicious activity report” regarding “the purchasing of child sexual abuse material.”
Police and federal agents, including US Customs and Border Protection, went to the Royal Caribbean ship Freedom of the Seas and took Grayeb into custody, instead of waiting for him to pass through border checks at the passenger terminal.
Upon performing a search of his cellphone, officials said they found a video of a man raping a girl who appeared to be younger than 5 years old.
The police report said that Grayeb confessed after an on-site interrogation. He was placed under arrest and brought to Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Facility, where he has been held on a $2,500 bond since Tuesday morning.
According to the arrest report, ICE has issued an immigration hold against Grayeb, in case it decides to federally prosecute him or initiate deportation from the United States.