Stuart man faces federal charges of sexual exploitation of teen he met on cruise
FORT PIERCE — Federal prosecutors have charged a cruise ship employee from Stuart with enticing an underage girl he met on the ship into having sex with him and with producing child pornography by recording their interactions.
Daniel Scott Crow, 38, met the girl on a cruise ship in July 2019 when she was 16 and stayed in contact with her afterwards, Brian Ray, a special agent with Homeland Security Investigations, said in federal court documents.
The teen said she and Crow developed a relationship and knew each other's birthdays, Ray said.
According to the documents, the teen and Crow first engaged in sexual activity when she was 17 years old.
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Ray received permission to search the girl's iPhone and uncovered several message exchanges between her and Crow.
Crow sent the girl lewd messages and asked for nude photos of her over WhatsApp. Crow received several from her showing her private parts, according to the court documents.
Crow also sent several photos of his face to the girl, Ray said.
In May 2020, Crow and the teen discussed potential sexual activities they could do together.
He arranged to spend a day with the teen at the Hampton Inn & Suites Stuart-North at 1150 Northwest Federal Highway, according to the criminal complaint affidavit.
Ray requested records from the hotel and received information that Crow made reservations checked-in and paid for the expenses with his Visa card, according to the court documents.
Authorities confiscated Crow's iPhone at Philadelphia International Airport after he got off a flight from London, Ray said.
Crow's iPhone and photocopies of his cards and identification were sent to Fort Pierce Homeland Security Investigations in Fort Pierce, according to court documents.
Homeland Security investigators gained access to Crow's iPhone and found a video recording of the teen performing sexual acts on him. Based on location metadata, investigators determined the video was recorded at the Hampton Inn & Suites in Stuart when the girl was 17.
Investigators also found location data showing Crow was in Martin and St. Lucie counties when soliciting pornography and sex from the teen.
Crow made an initial appearance in federal court in Fort Pierce Wednesday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Shaniek A. Maynard. The court file does not list an attorney for Crow.
If convicted, Crow faces up to life in prison.
Mauricio La Plante is a breaking news reporter for TCPalm focusing on Martin County. Follow him on Twitter @mslaplantenews or email him at Mauricio.LaPlante@tcpalm.com.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Stuart man charged with sexual exploitation of minor he met on cruise
