ROSEAU, Dominica — Two men on an Atlantis gay cruise have been arrested on charges of sodomy and indecent exposure for allegedly having sex in Dominica, a Caribbean island country where sex between two men is illegal.
John Robert Hart and Dennis Jay Mayer, both California natives, were accused of openly having sex on the boat while docked in the Roseau port.
(via Dominican.net)
The men were reportedly taken off the ship by armed police, are being held in the country’s jail, and are set to appear before a magistrate for a court hearing on Thursday, reported the Dominican.net.
According to the Associated Press, the men, ages 41 and 43, were seen having sex on the Celebrity Summit cruise ship by someone on the dock.
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The cruise was organized by Atlantis Events, a Southern California company that specializes in gay travel. A spokesman with the company said all employees were on the cruise ship and could not be reached.
“The arrival of the all male gay cruise in Dominica has brought severe criticism from the largely catholic and homophobic population on the island,” the Dominican website reported.
The ship left Puerto Rico on Saturday and arrived in Dominica on Wednesday with about 2,000 passengers.
According to the laws of Dominica, sodomy (or buggery, as termed in Dominica) is an illegal act and conviction could result in as much as ten years in prison.
