A former employee of Carnival Cruise Lines has been sentenced to just over a year in prison for possession of child sexual abuse materials, according to a recent announcement by Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson. Abdul Rouvoof Shaik, a 30-year-old national of the Republic of India, was arrested last July after Homeland Security Investigations agents discovered him with the illicit content at the Erato Street Cruise Terminal in New Orleans.
Shaik's detention and subsequent sentencing mark another notch in the belt of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative aimed at the scourge of child exploitation. The accused was handed a sentence of 12 months and one day imprisonment, along with five years of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee, as stated by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana announcement. The court's decision was delivered by United States District Judge Ivan L.R. Lemelle.
The grim reality of child exploitation continues to command the attention of federal, state, and local agencies, and according to court documents, Shaik's case is part of this broader battle. Since the launch of Project Safe Childhood in May 2006, the initiative has steadfastly worked to locate and prosecute individuals involved in the sexual exploitation of minors and aid the victims of these heinous acts.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office also extended its gratitude to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security - Homeland Security Investigations, and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection for their assistance in the investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian M. Klebba, Chief of the Financial Crimes Unit.
