FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – A since-fired cruise ship worker appeared in a Fort Lauderdale federal courtroom on Monday after agents arrested him at Port Everglades over the weekend after they said he had “several videos and photos of child sex abuse material” on his cellphone.
Former Holland America Line crew member Koen Leonard Eyck, 35, is facing charges of transportation and possession of child pornography in the Southern District of Florida. Authorities said the Dutch national worked on the Nieuw Statendam; they did not specify his role on the ship.
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According to a federal criminal complaint made public on Tuesday, U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents conducted a border search of Eyck’s electronic devices after the ship docked at Port Everglades on Saturday.
A Homeland Security Investigations agent wrote that a further probe of Eyck’s phone revealed his participation in a WhatsApp group dedicated to sharing illicit content. One of the videos in the group depicted a girl between the ages of 4 and 6, authorities said.
The complaint states that agents found a $35 transaction from Eyck to an account labeled “My paypal baby” for “for links that contained images” of child sexual abuse material.
Authorities said Eyck also used the messaging app Telegram to purchase and view illicit images and videos. Agents described a screenshot on Koen’s phone of an “offer of the day” from a person named “Perla” that described 14 types of images, including those purportedly depicting bestiality and extreme violence.
Eyck, in an interview with federal agents, admitted to receiving links containing child sexual abuse material via WhatsApp, Telegram, Facebook and Facebook Messenger and admitted to paying for the content through PayPal, the complaint states.
Agents said he admitted to receiving the links for five to 10 years. Eyck, they said, admitted that he “knew” that possessing child sexual abuse material was illegal “all over the world.”
Local 10 News contacted Holland America Line Tuesday morning seeking comment on Eyck’s arrest and employment status.
In a statement, a cruise line spokesperson said, “These allegations are deeply disturbing, and we have zero tolerance for criminal behavior. We are fully cooperating with law enforcement and immediately terminated the individual involved.”
Court records show Eyck is set to appear in federal court again on Thursday for a pre-trial detention hearing.
As of Tuesday, Broward Sheriff’s Office jail records show he was being held in the Paul Rein Detention Facility in Pompano Beach on the two federal charges, as well as an immigration hold.