One of the pleasures of cruising with a family can be leaving children with the shipboard children’s program.  On Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 for example, the Cunard website boasts: “Younger members of the family will not want to leave The Play Zone filled with toys, games and activities. As the younger children delight in the soft play area and ball pool you can be certain that they are in the best of care with our certified Early Years staff.”

In what must be every parents nightmare, Paul Trotter, 34, a Cunard child care supervisor who worked on the Queen Mary II, Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria, has plead guilty to 24 counts of sex offences related to the molestation of 13 boys, committed between November 2007 and August 2011.  He reportedly filmed his molestation the boys, most of whom were younger than 13.  Cunard is a subsidiary of Carnival Corporation.

Cunard cruise ship worker abused children in his care

The sexual offences, which took place between November 2007 and August 2011, went unreported. But when police received a tip off that Trotter was in possession of indecent images, an examination of his computer led to the discovery of a catalogue of films and images taken aboard the ships.

Cunard President Peter Shanks said he was “deeply shocked” by such “appalling crimes”.

He said Trotter had managed to avoid detection despite strict safeguarding procedures but admitted that areas of improvement had since been identified.

The children’s supervisor, appearing before Swindon Crown Court, admitted 12 counts of sexual assaulting a child under the age of 13, one count of sexual activity with a child under the age of 13, five counts of taking indecent images of a child, five of making indecent images of a child and one of possessing indecent images of a child.

Thanks to Phil Leon for contributing to the post.