U.S. warns of sex assaults on Bahamas tourists

NASSAU, Bahamas, Nov. 8 (UPI) -- The American embassy is issuing crime warnings to U.S tourists and expats in the Bahamas following sex assaults by Jet Ski and other personal watercraft operators on Paradise Island.

Officials have issued four security alerts of an increase in brazen crime in neighborhoods where Americans live and work. Besides the assaults by the Jet Ski operators, one American was kidnapped and raped walking home, and three citizens were the victims of armed robberies in board daylight.

None of the sex assaults was reported by police, prompting concerns about a coverup to protect tourism. More than six million travelers visited the Bahamas last year, making tourism the country's top industry.

The hike in crime also includes robberies and home invasions. An American living in Freeport was murdered in January, and the next day two Americans were carjacked.

A spokesman for the Bahamian government said the prime minister had convened a special national security meeting early this week to discuss new crime-fighting strategies.

Jet Ski operators can be a risk because they're independent and go through no type of background check.

"The water sports rental industry is only loosely regulated; since July, there have been three reported sexual assaults on U.S. citizens, including minors, by jet ski operators on Paradise Island," the embassy alert reads.