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  "description": "The complaint says Pawar admitted massage was not part of his job or offered in the Dry-Dock Salon or Stubble and Groom; spa services were separate at Redemption Spa on Deck 5. ",
  "path": "/virgin-voyages-hairstylist-charged-with-abusive-sexual-contact/",
  "publishedAt": "2026-07-07T06:16:21.000Z",
  "site": "https://www.cruisenews.io",
  "textContent": "_Updated July 8, 2026_\n\nFederal prosecutors in Washington have charged Pranit Narayan Pawar, a 26-year-old former onboard hairstylist on Virgin Voyages' Brilliant Lady, with two counts of abusive sexual contact involving female passengers on a June Alaska sailing. Virgin Voyages said Pawar was employed by a third-party concessionaire that provides onboard spa and salon services, and that he has been removed from the ship.\n\nThe criminal complaint says Pawar offered unauthorized massages to salon guests and touched two women without consent in a private room near the ship's salon. The allegations arise from a nine-night Alaska voyage that departed June 23, and the charged conduct occurred on or about June 26. If convicted, Pawar faces a maximum of two years in prison on each count.\n\n## Complaint centers on salon appointments\n\nPawar, an Indian citizen working as a hairstylist aboard Brilliant Lady, allegedly offered free massages to women who had booked hair appointments with him. In one case described in the complaint, he persuaded a passenger to book two additional salon appointments tied to a complimentary massage.\n\nThe complaint says Pawar moved both charged passengers into a small private room next to the salon, put his hands under their shirts and touched them sexually without consent. In at least one alleged incident, he closed and locked the door before the contact.\n\nDuring an FBI interview, Pawar admitted that massage was not part of his job and was not a service offered in the Dry-Dock Salon or the Stubble and Groom men's barbershop, according to the complaint. Virgin Voyages offers spa services separately at Redemption Spa on Deck 5.\n\nThe complaint also says Pawar told FBI agents he had taken four or five women into the onboard barbershop for massages and had been offering massages to clients for nearly two weeks. He said he did not intend to harm anyone and was providing massages for therapeutic reasons, according to the complaint, but also said he \"feels guilty for his mistakes, totally regrets his actions, and can see how his behavior would be harassing.\"\n\n## Federal case proceeds in Washington\n\nThe FBI is investigating the case, and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Washington is prosecuting it in federal court. Federal jurisdiction rests on the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States; 18 U.S.C. § 7 covers crimes on the high seas and other waters under U.S. admiralty jurisdiction outside any state.\n\nFBI special agents interviewed Pawar on July 2, the day Brilliant Lady returned to Seattle for debarkation. He made his first court appearance July 6 in Tacoma, Washington.\n\n## Virgin Voyages says crew member was removed\n\nVirgin Voyages said the conduct described in the filing \"is a profound violation of the trust and standards every person working onboard a Virgin Voyages ship is expected to uphold.\"\n\n\"The individual named in the complaint has been removed from the ship,\" Virgin Voyages said. \"He was employed by a third-party concessionaire company that provides our onboard spa and salon services. Immediately after being informed of these allegations, we removed him from duty and reported the matter to the FBI.\"\n\nThe company said it is cooperating with authorities. Virgin Voyages' conduct code says criminal acts and allegations \"will be reported to the appropriate law enforcement agency,\" and its rules prohibit uninvited physical contact, sexual misconduct and crew interactions with guests outside professional duties.\n\nBrilliant Lady is continuing its Seattle-based inaugural Alaska season with a series of seven-night sailings. Prosecutors have not announced additional charges tied to the other women described in the complaint.",
  "title": "Virgin Voyages Hairstylist Charged With Abusive Sexual Contact",
  "updatedAt": "2026-07-09T00:35:15.844Z"
}