FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – A Celebrity Cruises crew member was sentenced to four years in prison Friday after federal agents discovered graphic child sexual abuse material on his cellphone during a search at Port Everglades back in late April.
Authorities said Dennis Ofrancia De Leon, 44, was arrested on April 29 after disembarking the Celebrity Reflection.
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Investigators said his phone contained videos and photos showing children, including some under the age of 10, being sexually abused. De Leon admitted to downloading and viewing the material over the past four years via Facebook Messenger, according to his arrest report.
De Leon, a Filipino national, told agents he usually deleted the content before international travel but failed to do so on this occasion.
While in court Friday, defense attorneys requested a lighter, 33-41 month sentence, citing De Leon’s lack of U.S. ties, language barriers, and isolation in jail.
However, prosecutors had sought a stiffer penalty due to a sadomasochism enhancement applied to De Leon’s charge.
A U.S. District Judge acknowledged the seriousness of the crime but noted there was no evidence De Leon distributed or created the material or attempted to contact minors.
Before sentencing, De Leon addressed the court through an interpreter.
“To the U.S. government, I ask for forgiveness. I will never do this again. To my lawyer, thank you very much. God bless us all,” he said.
The judge sentenced De Leon to 48 months in prison and ordered him to pay restitution, with the amount to be determined.
Both the judge and defense attorney acknowledged that De Leon is expected to be deported to the Philippines after serving his sentence.