Two charged for raping teen on cruise ship

PORT EVERGLADES, Fla., Jan. 5 (UPI) -- Two suspects have been arrested for allegedly raping a 15-year-old girl aboard a Port Everglades, Fla.-based Royal Caribbean International cruise ship.

The girl, whose name was not released, said the suspects, a 15-year-old boy and a 20-year-old man, lured her from a teen dance club to a private room aboard the ship, the South Florida Sun Sentinel reported.

The girl and her family, who live in Iowa, set sail on Christmas for a 10-day cruise aboard Royal Caribbean's Allure of the Seas, which visited ports in St. Thomas, St. Maarten, St. Kitts and Haiti.

The girl told authorities that on her last night aboard the ship, she went to a teen dance club called Fuel and was invited to a party by the 15-year-old suspect. She said she thought she would be meeting friends, but when she arrived at the boy's private room, the older suspect, identified as Luiz Scavone, was there.

She told the men she had a curfew and tried to leave, but said the two would not let her leave and then raped her.

Scavone and the teen boy, whose name was not reported, were arrested Tuesday in Port Everglades. Both live in Brazil.

Scavone was charged with one count of committing a lewd and lascivious act and is being held in Broward County Main Jail on $10,000 bail. He was ordered to relinquish his Brazilian passport.

The 15-year-old suspect was charged with lewd and lascivious battery and taken to Broward's Juvenile Assessment Center.

Cynthia Martinez, the manager of Global Corporate Communications for Royal Caribbean, said the ship reported the incident to authorities immediately after the girl reported it.

"Royal Caribbean's guest care team offered the female guest a variety of assistance, including medical care and counseling,'' Martinez said in a written statement. She said Royal Caribbean "will continue to support law enforcement agencies during their investigation."