Cruise ship worker charged with child pornography offences appears in Iqaluit court
Arrest followed routine operations aboard ship by police and customs officers, RCMP says
Akshay Somaroo enters the courthouse in Iqaluit on Wednesday after being charged with possession of child pornography. (Photo by Arty Sarkisian)
Updated on Wednesday, September 11, 2024 at 9:17 p.m. ET
An employee of a cruise ship on Frobisher Bay who was arrested after allegedly being found with child pornography appeared in an Iqaluit courtroom Wednesday.
Akshay Somaroo, 31, a Mauritian national, was arrested aboard the ship on Sept. 1 as part of a joint operation by the RCMP and Canada Border Services Agency with support from Fisheries and Oceans Canada, an RCMP news release issued Wednesday said.
Somaroo is charged with one count each of possession of child pornography and importation of child pornography.
The pornography was allegedly found by CBSA officers during a routine customs examination on the ship after it arrived in Frobisher Bay.
Somaroo, who appeared in court before justice of the peace Nicol Sikma, remains in custody. Somaroo did not enter a plea.
The Crown investigation is ongoing but there aren’t any “named victims” in the case, Crown prosecutor Emma Baasch said in court.
In an interview outside court, Baasch confirmed Somaroo had been working on board the World Explorer ship.
Somaroo is ineligible to receive legal aid. However, defence lawyer Alison Crowe said in court that she will be “reaching out” to apply to have his legal fees covered.
Somaroo’s next court date, before a judge, is scheduled for Oct. 8 in Iqaluit.
Correction: This story has been updated from its originally published version to remove an incorrect reference to the operator of the ship, the World Explorer.
It’s CSAM, not pornography.
That’s correct, RCMP and such need to update terminology. Children cannot consent to pornography, it’s abuse.
Glad they caught this monster.
“RCMP and such” don’t make laws. They simply enforce them. The Terminology comes from the Canada Criminal Code. If you want the terminology changed, talk about it to your deputy. It’s Federal Parliament’s job.
The term is not the RCMP’s, it is in the CCC. The RCMP are not decision makers on such things, our representatives are.
What does that stand for?
Child Sexual Abuse Material
So on top of dumping raw sewage, dumping grey water, dumping garbage, dumping fuel, communicable diseases, human trafficking, drug trafficking we can also expect CSAM from these cruise ships in Nunavut? Do those things outweigh the benefits?
Clearly, you don’t know what you are talking about.
I guess that is why you post anonymously.
I also don’t agree with the comment you are responding to but I know many will agree with me that a choice to comment anonymously does not automatically mean the person doesn’t know what they are talking about. There are many reasons to comment anonymously…commenting publicly can get someone fired, create unnecessary friction between friends, family or neighbors and it can be a personal safety issue.
Im a guy who never did anything and never had a position or reputation to risk and I post this all day long for attention. I understand it is a logical fallacy but I do it anyway since engaging you on the actual opinion presented is not in my wheelhouse.
Yes, we wouldn’t want him/her to lose their job on the cruise ship, would we?
If his/her opinion is so incendiary, that his friends/family/employer will attack him/her, then, perhaps, the person should not make such a misleading/misinformed statement.
I still stand by my objection to anonymity.
Your issue with anonymity is literally the definition of the ad hominem fallacy.
Ad hominem fallacy or not, we will get to the bottom of this anonymity business.
As I see it, attacking a persons anonymity is the genetic fallacy. Either way, this approach seems to betray a weakness of mind where one is ill equipped to engage in ideas at all, yet claims a cheap victory over them for superficial reasons.
Then it seems you are participating in the wrong forum for you. This particular forum allows anonymous posts. No one is doing anything wrong by posting anonymously, so quit giving people a hard time for it. If the rules here cause you discomfort, quietly excuse yourself instead of trying to micromanage and proclaiming what is valid or not valid.
And also, they eating our pets. You really don’t have to venture to a cruise ship to find drugs and creeps. Look around town. Lord tunderin Jesus bye.
This is completely false.
Modern Cruise ships do not dump Raw sewage, garbage or fuel.
Your accusations about them being used for human and drug trafficking are so out of left field they may as well come from a QANON website.
Please educate yourself before spreading such misinformation.
With Nunavut’s inland fisheries set to take off, this burgeoning industry will need a sustainable source of chum to bait hooks. I think we have found such a solution…