Alexander Nabih Kanawati
Cruise Ship Passengers Arrested On Sex Charge
Norwegian Dawn - March 20, 2008
1. Alexander Nabih Kanawati
2. Javier Miguel Westerhausen
3. Andrew Parker Wein
Story Date: April 3, 2008
Arrest Date: March 20, 2008
Cruise Bruise: Sex with minors
Bruise Location: British Virgin Islands
Age: (1)22, (2)26, (3)22
Home Town: (1)Florida, (2)El Savador, (3)El Savador
Cruise Line: Norwegian Cruise Lines
Ship: Norwegian Dawn
Details:
The FBI has brought charges against three male passengers who were sailing aboard the Norwegian Dawn into the Caribbean, in port of call at the Virgin Islands.
Charged were Alexander Nabih Kanawati, age 22, from Florida, and Javier Miguel Westerhausen, age 26, and Andrew Parker Wein, age 22, from El Salvador.
The three men faces charges of assault with intent to commit rape and simple assault.
The charges stem from an alleged report by two teenagers who said they were forced into Kanawati's cabin, were served tequila until they were drunk, forced to have sex with each other.
In addition the two men charged were said to have forced the female teenager into the cabin's bathroom and attempted to have sex with her.
The two victims are reported to be a girl age 16 and a boy age 17. The victims told their parents, who then notified the ship's security personnel.
A U.S. judge on April 2 found probable cause to prosecute the defendants. Magistrate Judge Geoffrey Barnard ordered the defendants held without bail because they are flight risks. El Savador has no extradition agreement with the U.S.
All three defendants come from prominent El Savador families.
The two men are being held in Charlotte Amalie, U.S. Virgin Islands, where they were arrested.
The men are looking at possible prison sentences of between 15 and 21 months.
Wein's father, Rodolfo Antonio Parker Soto, is a prominent lawyer and vice president of El Salvador's legislative assembly who once ran for president as leader of the Christian Democratic Party.
Soto said he would put up $100,000 in cash as a bail bond and take personal responsibility for ensuring that his son appeared in the Virgin Islands for every court proceeding, if Barnard allowed his son to return to El Salvador and continue his studies in law school.
Rodolfo Antonio Parker Soto
