Advertisement

A Carnival cruise passenger was arrested by the FBI for sexually abusing his 9-year-old daughter

Carnival Sunrise cruise ship sails in the Hudson River.
Carnival Sunrise cruise shipGary Hershorn/Getty Images
  • A Carnival cruise passenger was arrested by the FBI for sexually abusing his daughter.

  • Justin Sigmon was recorded touching his daughter by a passenger and the ship's CCTV.

  • Sigmon denied touching his daughter inappropriately, and that he would "punch" another man for doing so.

The Federal Bureau of Investigations has arrested a Carnival cruise passenger for sexually abusing his nine-year-old daughter, according to a criminal complaint filed in the Southern District of Florida.

On May 30, Justin Sigmon was charged by the US District Court with abusive sexual contact of a minor under 12.

Sigmon was traveling on Carnival Sunshine with his family, which was on tour from May 25 to May 29. The cruise departed from Miami and made stops in the Bahamas, per the complaint.

On May 26, a passenger recorded Sigmon touching his daughter's thighs, and eventually moved towards her "private area," according to the complaint. The incident was also captured on the ship's surveillance cameras, which showed Sigmon's daughter pushing his hands away several times, per the complaint.

According to the passenger, Sigmon covered his crotch with his hands after his daughter had moved away from him.

The complaint stated: "Sigmon told law enforcement that he understood that the touching could be perceived as "inappropriate," but claimed it was not intended to be "sexual." Sigmon also told the FBI that he would have punched another man in the face if he touched his daughter in the same way, according to the complaint.

Sigmon resigned from his job at the Franklin County Office of the Sherrif on June 2. Sigmon was a captain, per the office's official website.

"Our prayers are with the Sigmon Family," the Franklin County Office of the Sherrif said in a press release, adding that it has "been working to gather all the information we can based on the limited amount provided by federal authorities."

Sigmon and the case's prosecutor, Markenzy Lapointe, did not immediately respond to Insider's requests for comment.

Read the original article on Business Insider