Cruise ship leaves men arrested for sex on Caribbean island

Two California men arrested for having sex in a Caribbean country were left there Thursday to face charges that could land them up to six months in jail, the Associated Press reports.

The men, identified by Dominica police as John Robert Hart, 41, and Dennis Jay Mayer, 43, were allegedly seen having sex on the Celebrity Summit cruise ship by someone on the dock. In Dominica, sex between two males is illegal.

The ship, run by Celebrity Cruises, left for St. Barts without the men, who have been charged with indecent exposure, according to the AP report.

A spokesman for the Dominica police confirmed Thursday that arrests had been made involving passengers on the cruise ship but referred all questions to Chief Cyril Carette, who was not immediately available for comment.

The hometowns of the arrested men were not released.West Hollywood-based Atlantis Events specializes in gay travel and organized the cruise to Dominica. Company representatives directed questions to President Rich Campbell, who is on the cruise and did not immediately return multiple calls to his cellphone.

Celebrity Cruises spokeswoman Elizabeth Jakeway referred all questions to Campbell.

Reached by email Wednesday, Campbell told the AP the company has organized many trips to Dominica and would “happily return.”

“Many countries and municipalities that gay men visit and live in have antiquated laws on their books,” he said. “These statutes don’t pose a concern to us in planning a tourist visit.”