Assistant Cruise Director Pleads Guilty to Possession of Child Pornography

TAMPA—Senad Djedovic (29, a citizen of Bosnia and Herzegovina) pled guilty yesterday to a federal charge of possession of child pornography. He faces a maximum penalty of ten years in federal prison.

According to facts presented in court, Djedovic was employed by Norwegian Cruise Lines from 2006 through early March 2012. Most recently, he was the assistant cruise director on the Norwegian Star, which departed for a seven-day cruise from the Port of Tampa on January 29, 2012. During the cruise, Djedovic became acquainted with a 16-year-old female passenger, and the two engaged in sexual activity aboard the ship. After the minor departed the vessel, Djedovic began exchanging e-mails with her. In a series of e-mails spanning several weeks, Djedovic commented about her age and asked the minor to send him sexually explicit photos of herself. At his request, the minor e-mailed Djedovic more than 20 photos, most of which contained sexually explicit photographs of the minor. Djedovic viewed these photos on his Norwegian Cruise Lines work computer.

Djedovic showed the sexually explicit photographs of the minor to co-workers aboard the vessel, and told them she was 16 years old. The employees reported Djedovic to Norwegian Security. Norwegian then contacted the Federal Bureau of Investigation. A search of Djedovic’s personal computers revealed that he possessed additional videos and images of minors engaging in explicit sexual activity.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Tampa Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Josephine W. Thomas.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “Resources.”