Hairstylist On Cruise Ship Charged With Sexually Assaulting Passengers

India-West News Desk

SEATTLE, WA – An Indian hairstylist working aboard the Virgin Voyages cruise ship ‘Brilliant Lady’has been charged with sexually assaulting two female passengers during a recent Alaska cruise.

Federal prosecutors identified the accused as 26-year-old Pranit Narayan Pawar, who was arrested after the ship docked in Seattle. He appeared in U.S. District Court in Tacoma on July 6, where he was charged with two counts of abusive sexual contact.

According to the criminal complaint, Pawar was employed to provide hair care services in the ship’s salon but allegedly began offering massages to women who booked hair appointments. In one case, prosecutors say he offered a complimentary massage to a passenger if she agreed to schedule three salon appointments.

The complaint alleges that Pawar then escorted the women to a small room next to the salon. While claiming to perform a massage, he allegedly moved his hands beneath the victims’ shirts and onto their breasts. In at least one of the alleged incidents, he also locked the room before the assault, according to prosecutors.

Because the alleged offenses occurred aboard a cruise ship within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States, the case is being prosecuted in federal court.

Abusive sexual contact carries a maximum penalty of two years in federal prison.