Jay Ar Ramos Trilles, 24, was arrested May 11, 2010 at the port of Halifax, Nova Scotia Canada for the possession of child pornography.
Trilles was convicted May 13, 2010 under the Customs Act of smuggling prohibited goods, and under the Criminal Code for possession of child pornography. He pleaded guilty to Judge Hughes Randall in Halifax Provincial Court to both charges.
Two sexually explicit videos of children were found on both a USB flash drive and a laptop computer.
Judge Hughes Randall sentenced Trilles to four months in jail on each count, to be served concurrently, and ordered him to provide a DNA sample for a national databank.
Trilles worked as an assistant waiter aboard the Costa Atlantica. The cruise ship had departed New York City on May 7.
The ship stopped at Rhode Island, then Boston, Massachusetts before stopping again at Bar Harbor, Maine. Apparently at least those four ports missed the opportunity to catch Trilles with the child pornography on his computer. Costa Atlantica called at Sydney, Nova Scotia before crossing the Atlantic to call at a long list of European ports including France, England, German and Russia among other ports. The distribution of the child pornography on Trilles's computer could have been worldwide in a matter of weeks.
Trilles worked with Costa Cruises for three years, Black said, and sent half his earnings home to the Philippines to help pay for school for two younger siblings.
The search found of Trilles' laptop found explicit electronic images depicting child pornography. At that time the Halifax Regional Police / Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Integrated Child Exploitation unit was called to assist with the investigation.
As a result of his conviction, Mr. Trilles will also be registered with the National Sex Offender Registry in Canada and ordered to provide a sample of his DNA.
The Customs Act prohibits the importation of certain goods, including child pornography as defined by the Criminal Code. The CBSA works diligently with its law enforcement partners to enforce Canada's laws against child pornography and to stop prohibited goods from entering Canada.
Jay Ar Ramos Trilles
Cruise Ship Crew Member Arrested
For Child Pornography Costa Atlantica - May 11, 2010
