By EARYEL BOWLEG

Tribune Staff Reporter

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

AN American man pleaded guilty to assaulting a cruise ship employee aboard the vessel.

Magistrate Shaka Seville warned and cautioned 22-year-old Deonte Dixon for assaulting assistant server Claudine Tonico on November 3, 2024.

The prosecutor reported that the victim said a dark-skinned man approached her from behind in the staff area on one of the decks and pulled her waist, causing her to be fearful. When he asked her to accompany him, she refused, prompting him to walk away.

Mr Dixon said he was on the cruise with his girlfriend, his first visit to The Bahamas. He appeared in court alone and expressed remorse, stating that he was intoxicated and did not recall the incident or know the victim. He said this was his first arrest.

The American said he is enlisted in the Navy and will begin boot camp in January.

In his remarks, Magistrate Seville said the defendant cannot fully appreciate the situation as he is a man.

He said: “So here it is, this person’s at work. Not a patron like yourself, a female at work, a place that’s supposed to be a safe environment for them, and then to have some person forcefully try to control their body’s movements.”