Crime & Safety

Hoboken Man Allegedly Took Upskirt Photo Of Teen On Cruise Ship

Prosecutors: A 13-year-old was standing on the deck of the ship watching a sunset. A man put his phone under her dress and took a photo.

HOBOKEN, NJ — Authorities arrested a Hoboken man earlier this week after he allegedly used his iPhone to take an “upskirt” photo of a 13-year-old female while aboard a cruise ship in July.

The incident took place aboard a cruise ship traveling from Bayonne to Bermuda, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office (New Jersey). Prosecutors did not name the cruise company in an initial statement.

According to federal prosecutors, Jeffrey Goldstein, 31, was a passenger on the ship, which departed on July 8. That evening, a 13-year-old female went to stand on the deck of the vessel, facing outward towards the water to look at a sunset. At that time, Goldstein allegedly approached the teen and without her permission, placed his phone under the skirt of her dress, pointed the camera upward at her private parts and took a photo.

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The teen allegedly felt something touch her leg during the incident. After taking the photo, Goldstein moved to the side of the victim and walked away, prosecutors said.

When a nearby adult told authorities on the ship that he saw Goldstein take the photo, the ship’s personnel reviewed surveillance footage of the incident, confirming the witness account and identifying Goldstein as the man in the video, prosecutors said.

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The federal government had special maritime jurisdiction over the case. Authorities arrested Goldstein on July 31, prosecutors said.

Pursuant to a search warrant, FBI agents later downloaded the contents of Goldstein’s iPhone and found the photo of the teen, along with “several other upskirt images,” prosecutors stated.

Authorities charged Goldstein with one count of violating a voyeurism statute that prohibits photographing a minor’s private area without consent when that individual has a reasonable expectation of privacy. He faces a maximum potential penalty of one year in prison and a $100,000 fine if convicted, according to prosecutors.

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Photo: Shutterstock / Neirfy

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