Man Faces Federal Child Abuse Material Charges After Cruise Arrest
The May 31 allegation involved a shipboard gift shop on Allure of the Seas; Royal Caribbean said it notified law enforcement and the sailing continued as planned.
Matthew Stilwell, 25, of Pawnee, Illinois, was arrested at Port Everglades on June 7 after investigators said he tried to photograph a girl under her dress aboard Royal Caribbean International’s Allure of the Seas. Broward Sheriff’s Office records listed three state voyeurism charges tied to the May 31 incident during an eight-night Eastern Caribbean sailing from Fort Lauderdale.
The case has since expanded beyond the county arrest. A federal criminal complaint filed after the ship returned to South Florida added three charges related to attempted production, transportation and possession of child sexual abuse material.
Royal Caribbean said it “immediately notified local law enforcement and supported their investigation.” Allure of the Seas did not divert or change itinerary in connection with the incident and continued sailing as planned.
Affidavit describes gift shop allegation
The girl was browsing jewelry in a shipboard gift shop when Stilwell allegedly moved close behind her with his cellphone camera app open, according to the Broward arrest affidavit. She reported the incident to her mother, and deputies later said onboard surveillance footage supported her account after the ship reached Port Everglades.
The affidavit said Stilwell and the victim knew each other before the incident, but the nature of that relationship was not disclosed. The victim’s name was redacted in court documents and has not been publicly released.
Stilwell was taken into custody after law enforcement responded to the ship’s return to Fort Lauderdale. Broward inmate records listed him at the Paul Rein Detention Facility in Pompano Beach on $22,500 bond, and court records did not list an attorney for him.
Federal complaint cites phone search
In the federal complaint, authorities said Stilwell told Royal Caribbean security that his cellphone contained images of eight to nine other children, including AI-generated nude depictions of minors. After the ship returned, federal customs officers and Homeland Security Investigations agents searched the phone, according to the complaint.
Investigators said they found images tied to the original allegation as well as AI-generated nude depictions of the same victim. The complaint also said Stilwell acknowledged using AI websites to create sexualized images of minors, including images made from Instagram photos of several 17-year-old girls.
It was not immediately clear whether Stilwell was confined or otherwise restricted aboard the ship before arrival. The online federal file did not list an upcoming hearing when the complaint became public, and most entries beyond the complaint were sealed; Broward County’s online docket for the state case also listed no scheduled hearing.
