Plantation man paid for child porn videos while on Bahamas cruise, feds say

A Plantation man is accused of purchasing child pornography videos while on a cruise in the Bahamas, stating “he was enticed to do so after he observed female minors in bikinis” during the trip, according to a federal complaint.

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Steve Lawson, 45, was on a Norwegian Cruise Line ship, Norwegian Getaway, in the Bahamas, the complaint said. When he was disembarking at Port Miami on July 24, he was escorted to a secondary inspection by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers.

Officers looked through Lawson’s personal items, including an iPhone 17 Pro Max, and found videos of child sexual abuse material on his cell phone, the complaint said. One of the videos showed more than a hundred prepubescent girls involved in sexual acts.

Lawson allegedly received the videos while the cruise ship was docked in the Bahamas.

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In a recorded interview with authorities, he said he purchased, possessed and viewed the child pornography that he received from an unknown individual the day prior, the complaint said. He told officers he bought it with cryptocurrency after seeing girls in bikinis on the cruise.

Lawson is facing charges of possession of visual depictions involving the sexual exploitation of minors and transportation of visual depictions involving the sexual exploitation of minors. He was being held Thursday at Federal Detention Center, Miami, records show.

Read more Plantation man paid for child porn videos while on Bahamas cruise, feds say

His attorney, Susan Lawson, didn’t respond to a request for comments.