Virgin Voyages Hairstylist Charged With Abusive Sexual Contact
The complaint says Pawar admitted massage was not part of his job or offered in the Dry-Dock Salon or Stubble and Groom; spa services were separate at Redemption Spa on Deck 5.
Federal prosecutors in Washington have charged Pranit Narayan Pawar, a 26-year-old former hairstylist aboard Virgin Voyages’ newest ship, Brilliant Lady, with two counts of abusive sexual contact involving female passengers on a June Alaska sailing. The criminal complaint says Pawar offered unauthorized massages to salon guests and touched two women without consent in a private room near the ship’s salon.
The allegations arise from a nine-night Alaska voyage that departed June 23. The charged conduct occurred on or about June 26. Each count carries a maximum penalty of two years in prison if Pawar is convicted.
Complaint centers on salon appointments
Pawar, an Indian citizen hired as a hairstylist on Brilliant Lady, allegedly offered free massages to women who had booked hair appointments with him. In one case described in the complaint, he persuaded a passenger to book two additional salon appointments connected to a complimentary massage.
The complaint says Pawar moved both charged passengers into a small private room next to the salon, put his hands under their shirts and touched them sexually without consent. In at least one alleged incident, he closed and locked the door before the contact.
During an FBI interview, Pawar admitted that massage was not part of his job and was not a service offered in the Dry-Dock Salon or the Stubble and Groom men’s barbershop, according to the complaint. Virgin Voyages offers spa services separately at Redemption Spa on Deck 5.
Federal case proceeds in Washington
The FBI is investigating the case, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington is prosecuting it in federal court. Federal jurisdiction rests on the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States; 18 U.S.C. § 7 covers crimes on the high seas and other waters under U.S. admiralty jurisdiction outside any state.
FBI special agents interviewed Pawar on July 2, the day Brilliant Lady returned to Seattle for debarkation. His first court appearance was July 6 in Tacoma, Washington.
Virgin Voyages has not issued a public statement on the charges. The line’s conduct code says criminal acts and allegations “will be reported to the appropriate law enforcement agency,” and its rules prohibit uninvited physical contact, sexual misconduct and crew interactions with guests outside professional duties.
Brilliant Lady is continuing its Seattle-based inaugural Alaska season with a series of seven-night sailings.
The complaint also says Pawar told FBI agents he had taken four or five women into the onboard barbershop for massages. Prosecutors have not announced additional charges tied to the other women described in the complaint.
