Miami Accident Lawyer Blog
MIAMI, FL—U.S. District Judge William H. Steele of the Southern District of Alabama ruled on Nov. 15 that a Mississippi man who pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl during a Carnival cruise voyage will not only spend 10 years in prison, but also serve a subsequent life-long probation sentence in connection with the attack. According to information provided by the Press Register, the defendant, whom prosecutors referred to as a “serial rapist,” sexually abused the teen while aboard the Carnival Elation cruise ship.
Gautier man Dylan Cole Bloodsworth, 19, apparently forced the unidentified 13-year-old girl to have sex with him on March 6, during a Carnival Elation cruise vacation to Mexico. Reports suggested Bloodsworth lured the young victim to his cabin by convincing her that he was merely going to retrieve his jacket.
Prior to the cruise ship assault, Bloodsworth also allegedly raped another 13-year-old girl in Mississippi. In that case, Bloodsworth apparently used photos the girl posted online to determine where she lived and subsequently showed up at her house unannounced.
Bloodsworth, who found that girl hitting a soccer ball in her yard upon arriving to the home, seemingly attempted to kiss her and left. Nevertheless, he called her later that night and contended he would murder her family if she didn’t agree to get into his car.
Bloodsworth is accused of taking the young victim to a secluded area, raping her and then disposing of the condom, as well as the clothes he was wearing at the time of the attack. The Mississippi man faces charges in connection with that case as well.
According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Maria Murphy, “I don’t know any other way of putting this: He’s a serial rapist. He preys on underage girls.”
Statistics posted on the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) website stated that the FBI regards sexual assault as the leading crime reported on cruise ships, accounting for 55 percent of all maritime crimes reported to the bureau.
About the Miami Cruise Ship Injury Lawyers and Maritime Attorneys at Gerson & Schwartz, P.A.
Leading South Florida crime victim lawyers Gerson & Schwartz state that ship firms have managed to avoid potential litigation through unethical business practices for years. Such practices can leave victims of molestation and/or sexual assault struggling to attain compensation for their pain and suffering. For more than 30 years, the Miami personal injury law firm of Gerson & Schwartz, P.A. have been dedicated to protecting the rights of travelers and cruise ship employees who have been sexually assaulted, sustained serious injury or been subject to preventable harm while aboard these “hospitable” vessels.