Men Plead Guilty in Cruise Ship Arrest

The two men who were arrested by police in Dominica after being spotted having sex on a gay cruise have pleaded guilty, and the cruise ship operator says the debacle has nothing to do with their sexual orientation.

The Associated Press reports that John Robert Hart and Dennis Jay Mayer pleaded guilty Thursday to "indecent exposure," paid a nearly $900 fine, and then headed to the airport.

Rich Campbell, president of Atlantis Events, which operated the cruise aboard the Celebrity Summit ship, took to Facebook to shoot down any suggestion that the men were arrested because it's illegal for men to have sex with each other in Dominica.

Campbell said the two men "were seen engaging in a sexual act outdoors on their balcony in full public view of the port and town. Not only did many of the residents witness the act, several of our guests saw this incident as well." Campbell said police responded to complaints from residents.

Campbell said Atlantis ensured that a cruise line representative was with them throughout the ordeal. But he said the situation wasn't a result of their being gay.

"Please understand that the complaint and subsequent arrests had nothing to do with the guests' sexual orientation, nor was any 'anti-gay' law invoked," he wrote to Facebook followers who he said had their facts incorrect. "These guests were engaged in behavior that is inappropriate in any port of call, or major city for that matter."

Read the complete statement on the following page.

The complete statement:

Please accept my apology for the late post, we have been at sea for the past 18 hours with limited internet access.

We appreciate the comments on this board regarding the incident in Dominica yesterday, but would sincerely ask that most of you get the facts correct before condemning Atlantis or Dominica for what happened. Here are the facts:

Yesterday morning around 9:30 am two of our guests were seen engaging in a sexual act outdoors on their balcony in full public view of the port and town. Not only did many of the residents witness the act, several of our guests saw this incident as well. The local authorities responded to a complaint by several residents. The two gentlemen were arrested on a misdemeanor charge of public indecency and detained overnight. They appeared in front of the local magistrate this morning, paid a small fine, and were released in full.

Please understand that the complaint and subsequent arrests had nothing to do with the guests' sexual orientation, nor was any "anti-gay" law invoked. These guests were engaged in behavior that is inappropriate in any port of call, or major city for that matter.

The guests were never left on their own. We had both representatives from Atlantis and Celebrity cruises with them at all times during their ordeal and had our local representatives look after them last night. Furthermore, we worked closely with the US Embassy in Barbados to assure that their safety was always being monitored.

Atlantis had 2000 guests in port yesterday in Dominica and most of them had an outstanding time visiting the country. Celebrity Cruises has been extremely supportive, working with Atlantis to insure these guests' safety and security despite their detention in Dominica. We commend them for their unwavering support through this incident.

Thank you.

Sincerely,
Rich Campbell
President, Atlantis Events, Inc.