Federal Prosecutors Charge Ship Captain with Maritime Sexual Assault

Teh U.S. Department of Justice has taken a meaningful step by charging former ship captain John merrone with drugging and sexually assaulting a cadet from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy aboard the cargo vessel Liberty Glory. As reported by legal representatives involved, this marks the first time in over four decades that such serious charges have been brought against someone for sexual assault on a U.S.-flagged commercial ship.

Merrone is facing five criminal counts stemming from an incident that took place on September 9, 2019, while the M/V Liberty Glory was en route from Bahrain to Corpus christi, Texas.The allegations include aggravated sexual abuse for allegedly incapacitating the victim through drugs before assaulting her, as well as additional charges related to non-consensual sexual contact when she was unable to give consent.

Ryan Melogy, who founded Justice4Mariners and has experience as a merchant marine officer, remarked on this case’s importance: “This is a pivotal moment for maritime safety.” He emphasized that it’s been over 40 years as similar charges were pursued by the DOJ against someone in this industry.

Justice4Mariners represents not only the primary victim but also another individual who claims to have been drugged under similar circumstances. This case sheds light on deeper issues within maritime operations; despite Merrone’s past convictions for false imprisonment and battery in Florida, he continued his career in commercial shipping while cadets were still assigned to his vessels.

The allegations first came into public view through CNN reports in October 2022.Following mounting pressure from advocacy groups and media coverage, merrone was expelled from his position by the American Maritime Officers union due to multiple credible accusations regarding crew safety concerns. He subsequently surrendered his Merchant Mariner Credential and accepted a lifetime ban from working within U.S. maritime operations.

This incident follows troubling accounts of sexual misconduct involving female cadets during their training at sea—a situation highlighted by an anonymous blog post published in 2021 where one victim detailed her experience of being assaulted by a superior officer while serving aboard another U.S.-flagged vessel during her training period in 2019. This individual later identified herself as Hope Hicks.

Melogy pointed out that this case reflects broader systemic failures among various entities including government agencies and labor unions within maritime industries that have historically shielded known offenders while silencing victims’ voices.

In response to these revelations, USMMA temporarily halted its Sea Year training program after Hicks’ story gained traction but reinstated it shortly thereafter with new measures aimed at enhancing protections against harassment and assault for future cadets.