Federal authorities say a cruise ship hairstylist is suspected of assaulting a passenger while posing as a massage provider during a cruise to Alaska.
A hairstylist aboard a Virgin Voyages cruise ship has been arrested and charged with sexually abusing guests on board, authorities said.
Pranit Narayan Pawar, 26, who worked on the adults-only cruise line Brilliant Lady, is accused of “sexually abusing multiple passengers under the guise of providing massages,” according to a July 6 news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington.
“According to the criminal complaint, Pawar was hired to provide hair care services, and during a recent cruise to Alaska, he began providing massages to women who had hair appointments,” the release states. “In one instance, he offered to give the victim a free massage if he agreed to make three appointments at the salon.”
The cruise line told USA TODAY that the actions described in the filing were “a serious violation of the trust and standards to which everyone working on a Virgin Voyage ship is held.”
“The individuals named in the complaint have been removed from the ship,” Virgin Voyages said in an emailed statement. “He was employed by a third-party concession company that provided onboard spa and salon services. After being made aware of these allegations, we immediately removed him from his duties and reported the matter to the FBI.”
The company is cooperating with authorities. Lawyers on Mr. Pawar’s list did not respond to requests for comment.
In late June, Pawar, an Indian national, allegedly took at least two victims to a barber shop next door to the salon, where he sexually assaulted them, according to a complaint filed in the Western District of Washington. The suspect told FBI agents that his job duties did not include giving massages, but he admitted to performing sexually explicit acts on multiple women, two of whom investigators believed were the victims mentioned in the charges.
Authorities said Pawar gave massages to four or five women at the barbershop and had been offering massages to customers for nearly two weeks.
“He also stated that he did not intend to hurt anyone and that he was providing massages for therapeutic purposes to help his clients. However, (Pawar) also stated that he has had time to reflect, feels guilty for his mistakes, is completely remorseful for his actions, and understands how his actions amounted to harassment,” the complaint states.
Pawar was charged with two counts of abusive sexual contact.
This article has been updated to update the headline.
Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. Please contact us at ndiller@usatoday.com.
