A cruise ship youth counselor admitted to sexually abusing at least four girls during his work, according to the FBI.
The allegations surfaced after a 6-year-old girl stepped forward to tell authorities what Cris John Pentinio Castor, 35, allegedly did to her, authorities said.
According to the federal complaint, Castor was working on Celebrity Silhouette, a cruise ship for Celebrity Cruises, during a route through various nations in the Caribbean Sea last month. On Nov. 20, the boat departed from the Port Everglades seaport in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and made its way through different countries before returning to Port Everglades on Nov. 30.
Authorities said the victim’s father made a complaint to the youth center’s program manager on Nov. 27. This would have been about when the Silhouette made its way to St. Johns in Antigua and Barbuda.
According to documents, a 6-year-old girl attending the ship’s youth center told the program manager that “CJ” — as Castor was known to crewmembers and the youth center children — touched her private parts.
Cris John Pentinio Castor, a cruise ship youth counselor, sexually abused a 6-year-old girl, authorities said. (Mug shot: Broward County Sheriff’s Office)
She talked to a forensic investigator after the ship returned to Port Everglades, saying the abuse happened when she was playing a video game, authorities said.
“Security footage from the Youth Center captured the incident from behind and portrays minor victim and Castor sitting next to each other,” the FBI wrote. “Though the footage does not capture the contact directly, the footage is consistent with minor victim’s statement and shows Castor’s hand reaching into the lap of minor victim, in the vicinity of her vaginal area, while she played a video game on November 27, 2023.”
Castor allegedly admitted to authorities that he victimized at least three other children in addition to the 6-year-old.
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“Castor also admitted to the inappropriate sexual touching of other minor children that were in his care at the Youth Center, on multiple occasions, while consciously hiding his acts from the Youth Center’s security cameras,” the affidavit said. “Furthermore, Castor admitted to inappropriately touching at least three additional minor children in their vaginal area, in some cases making skin-to-skin contact.”
Castor faces a federal count of abusive contact of a minor under 12.
Online records show Castor has been at the Broward County Jail since Nov. 30. There, he is on both a U.S. Marshals hold. The citizen of the Philippines is also on an immigration hold.
The public defender’s office declined to comment.
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