A former employee of Carnival Cruise Lines, Abdul Rouvoof Shaik, has been sentenced for possession of child sexual abuse material. Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that Shaik, a 30-year-old national from the Republic of India, was sentenced on May 21, 2025. The charges were for possessing materials involving the sexual exploitation of minors, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2252(a)(4)(B) and (b)(2).
Shaik was arrested in July 2024 at the Erato Street Cruise Terminal in New Orleans after special agents with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations discovered he had child pornography.
United States District Judge Ivan L.R. Lemelle sentenced Shaik to one year and one day in prison, followed by five years of probation. He is also required to pay a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. The project coordinates federal, state, and local resources to locate and prosecute individuals who exploit children online and rescue victims.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office acknowledged the assistance provided by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Customs and Border Protection in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian M. Klebba, Chief of the Financial Crimes Unit, is handling the prosecution.
For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
