Plantation photographer faces decide after post-cruise arrest on little one intercourse abuse video fees

MIAMI — A widely known Plantation photographer confronted a Miami federal decide on Thursday, rather less than every week after authorities stated they discovered little one sexual abuse movies on his cellphone after he bought off a cruise ship.

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Steve Lawson, 45, was taken into custody quickly after disembarking the Norwegian Getaway at PortMiami on Friday after it arrived from the Bahamas. His arrest got here after customs officers searched his cellphone, in keeping with court docket paperwork.

Investigators stated the daddy of seven had greater than a dozen movies of younger women being raped and sexually abused, together with an hour-long video that confirmed greater than 100 victims.

A federal felony grievance states that Lawson, who images weddings and households, admitted to purchasing the movies utilizing cryptocurrency whereas the ship was docked within the Bahamas and it states he claimed he was “enticed to do so after he observed female minors in bikinis on the cruise.”

The Daily Mail wrote an article about Lawson and his household of 9 residing in a transformed college bus touring throughout the U.S. in 2019.

That similar 12 months, Lawson was seen on Local 10 News after sewage flooded his household’s Plantation dwelling.

In court docket on Thursday, prosecutors argued that Lawson is a hazard to the group and has an dependancy.

The federal decide ordered he be held on a $900,000 bond. If he posts his bond, he’ll be prohibited from utilizing any electronics or the web and might’t work as a photographer.

“We recognize the serious nature of the charges and are committed to working diligently through the legal process to achieve a fair and just resolution of this case,” Lawson’s legal professional, Susan Lawson ― no relation ― informed Local 10 News in an announcement on Thursday.

But Local 10 News has realized that Steve Lawson was not the one particular person ― or Broward resident, for that matter ― arrested after getting off the Norwegian Getaway that day.

A separate felony grievance states that customs officers additionally checked out a cellphone belonging to Michael William Simmons, 40, of Tamarac, after he disembarked the cruise.

Investigators stated he took movies of his daughters’ pals, aged 9 to 11, showering whereas stationed in Anchorage, Alaska for the Air Force in 2014 and stated he admitted to doing so “for his sexual gratification.”

They stated he additionally admitted to purchasing little one sexual abuse movies utilizing an encrypted system designed to hide a consumer’s IP deal with.

It’s unclear whether or not the 2 know each other.

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