Two men were arrested after federal authorities found child sexual exploitation material (CSEM) on their phones when they disembarked from the Norwegian Getaway at PortMiami, according to Local 10 News. The two men, Steve Lee Lawson, 45, of Plantation, Florida, and Michael William Simmons, 40, of Tamarac, Florida, now face federal charges related to CSEM.
The Norwegian Getaway arrived in Miami from the Bahamas on Friday, July 24, when the two arrests occurred. It is currently unclear whether the two men knew each other.
Steve Lee Lawson
Lawson was arrested after U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers flagged him for a secondary inspection during disembarkation. Investigators found more than a dozen CSEM videos on his device. One video file allegedly lasted more than an hour and depicted the rape and sexual abuse of “more than 100 prepubescent girls,” according to the federal criminal complaint.
Authorities said Lawson downloaded some of the files while the Norwegian Getaway was docked in the Bahamas. Authorities also said he admitted that he paid for the material with cryptocurrency. Lawson allegedly said he obtained the videos after seeing “female minors in bikinis on the cruise.”
Lawson was taken into custody and appeared before a federal judge in Miami on Thursday, July 30, where prosecutors argued he was a danger to the community. The federal judge overseeing the case set his bond at $900,000. If Lawson posts bond, he will not be allowed to use any electronics, access the internet, or work as a photographer.
Lawson is reportedly a father of seven children, according to the Daily Mail. The tabloid wrote about him and his family in 2019 after the family packed up their belongings and bought a school bus to live in. Lawson and his wife reportedly worked as photographers when the article was published.
Michael William Simmons
Simmons was arrested after CBP officers looked at his phone after disembarking from the Norwegian Getaway. Investigators said his phone contained videos of his daughters’ friends showering. The girls in the videos were 9 to 11 years old.
Simmons took the videos in 2014 while his family was stationed in Anchorage, Alaska for the Air Force. He told investigators he took the videos “for his sexual gratification.” Simmons also admitted to purchasing CSEM videos on an encrypted system, although it’s unclear if this purchase occurred while he was on the cruise ship.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
Lawson and Simmons were subject to a border inspection by CBP officers because the Norwegian Getaway was returning from the Bahamas to a U.S. port. The CBP website states, “All travelers crossing the United States border are subject to CBP inspection. On rare occasions, CBP officers may search a traveler’s mobile phone, computer, camera, or other electronic devices during the inspection process.”
The website also states that in 2025, “less than 0.01 percent of arriving international travelers encountered by CBP at a port of entry had their electronic devices searched.” Why Lawson and Simmons were selected for additional inspection is unclear.
The arrests follow a similar case in June, when a Regal Princess passenger was arrested at a Port Everglades customs checkpoint after federal agents allegedly found multiple CSEM videos on his phone.