Gay couple home after sex arrest on cruise

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PALM SPRINGS, Calif., March 24 (UPI) -- A California homosexual couple say they were subject to harassment in Dominica after being arrested for allegedly having sex on a cruise ship balcony.

Dennis Mayer, 53, and John Hart, 41, both of Palm Springs, returned home this week after spending nearly a day in jail following their unceremonious arrest during a port call this week on the tiny Caribbean island.

The lowlight of the ordeal was being marched by police through the streets of Roseau to an ATM to withdraw enough cash to pay a fine, they told KTLA-TV in Los Angeles.

"I've never seen something like this," Mayer said. "I've never seen people chanting and protesting in the street. It was amazing."

KTLA said Mayer, a retired police officer, and Hart were accused of having sex on their stateroom balcony while the ship was in port.

"I'm not going to implicate myself one way or another, but we were charged with being naked on the balcony," Mayer said.

The two men denied the allegations but spent a long night in jail.

"We were taunted all night long," Mayer said. "They paraded us around like we were some oddity."

Homosexual activity is illegal in Dominica, although the cruise was aimed at a gay audience and had about 2,000 homosexual passengers.