MIAMI — A Miami federal jury convicted a 67-year-old Malaysian national of a child sexual abuse charge after authorities accused him of molesting a young boy on a cruise ship, prosecutors announced on Friday.
According to a federal criminal complaint, the incident happened on April 2 while Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas was in international waters, bound for PortMiami.
Federal investigators said passenger Lay Ong approached two brothers, 7 and 9, who were playing outside their cabin. According to the complaint, Ong asked the brothers “how old they were and if they were ‘boys or girls.’”
Authorities said after the 7-year-old told Ong he was a boy, Ong replied, “Let me check” and grabbed his groin. Investigators said Ong then walked away.
The incident was captured on surveillance footage, authorities said. Investigators said the boys told their parents what happened and their parents notified cruise ship security, who later interviewed Ong.
Ong claimed he was “playing” with the boys and said he touched the 7-year-old’s stomach, not his groin.
But a federal jury convicted him of abusive sexual contact of a minor on Oct. 23, prosecutors said.
Records show he’s set to be sentenced in Miami federal court on Jan. 21, 2026. He could get life in prison and will also “be subject to deportation following his sentence,” prosecutors said.
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