A federal jury convicted 67-year-old Lay Ong of abusive sexual contact after security footage allegedly showed him touch a 7-year-old boy aboard Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas while the ship was in international waters. The boys told the victim’s mother, who alerted ship security; Ong denied wrongdoing, saying he touched the child’s stomach. He was charged April 5, convicted after a two-day trial, and faces possible life in prison at sentencing on Jan. 21, 2026.
Man Convicted of Sexually Touching 7-Year-Old on Royal Caribbean Cruise After Asking, 'Are You a Boy or Girl?'
A federal jury convicted 67-year-old Lay Ong of abusive sexual contact after security footage allegedly showed him touch a 7-year-old boy aboard Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas while the ship was in international waters. The boys told the victim’s mother, who alerted ship security; Ong denied wrongdoing, saying he touched the child’s stomach. He was charged April 5, convicted after a two-day trial, and faces possible life in prison at sentencing on Jan. 21, 2026.
10:05 PM, 11/17/2025Society
Summary: A federal jury convicted 67-year-old Malaysian national Lay Ong of abusive sexual contact with a minor after security footage allegedly showed him touch a 7-year-old boy aboard a Royal Caribbean cruise ship while the vessel was in international waters.
Details of the incident
Prosecutors say Lay Ong, 67, was a guest on Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas on April 2 when he encountered a 7-year-old boy and a 9-year-old friend in a hallway outside their cabin, according to the criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.
Security camera footage near the area reportedly captured Ong approaching the two children and initiating a conversation. The filing states that the footage shows Ong touching the younger boy's face and chin and then reaching to touch the child’s genitalia after asking whether the boys were "boys or girls." The complaint quotes the boys saying that after they answered "boys," Ong replied, "Let me check," and then touched the 7-year-old.
“Ong leans forward slightly and extends his left hand, grabbing [the victim's] genitalia,” the complaint states.
The recording allegedly shows the child recoiling immediately while Ong walks away. The boys returned to their cabin and told the victim’s mother, who then reported the incident to ship security. Cruise personnel reviewed footage, identified Ong and located him onboard.
When questioned by ship security, the complaint says Ong denied the allegations, telling investigators he had been "playing" and had touched the child's stomach rather than his groin. Federal prosecutors nonetheless charged Ong with abusive sexual contact with a minor on April 5.
Trial and outcome
After a two-day federal trial, a jury found Ong guilty of the charge. He faces a potential sentence that could include life in federal prison. Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 21, 2026, in the Southern District of Florida.
"Abusing a child is an unforgivable act," said Jason A. Reding Quiñones, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida. "This verdict makes clear that anyone who preys on a child—anywhere, and under any flag—will be held to account."
What we know and what remains private
Authorities have not released the identities of the children. The case proceeded in federal court because the incident occurred in international waters and involves a cruise ship that departed from a U.S. port. The conviction follows the standard legal process: investigation, charging, trial and forthcoming sentencing.
Note: This account is based on court filings and media reporting. It preserves the names of identified adults but protects the privacy of minors involved.