Credit: Disney Cruise LineProsecutors in Miami-Dade County have dropped all charges against 24-year-old crew member Oliver Lovatt who was arrested in May for alleged sexual misconduct with a child. Lovatt was arrested on two counts of “lewd and lascivious molestation of a child under 12” during a cruise aboard the Disney Magic in April of this year.
Lovatt was charged but the case against him was closed on Monday, November 4—the same day his trial was set to begin. All charges were dropped against Lovatt by prosecutors in the lawsuit.
In October, Inside the Magic brought you the story of Lovatt, who was working as a Disney Cruise Line Youth Host aboard the Disney Magic cruise ship earlier this year. It was alleged—during a cruise in late April, as the ship was sailing in international waters, that Lovatt fondled a 10-year-old boy. The child passenger was in the Oceaneer Lab–a fun spot aboard the ship for kids only–where Lovatt was working. The arrest report stated that the alleged incidences of molestation were captured on security cameras aboard the Disney Magic cruise ship.
Prosecutors had said that the footage from those cameras wasn’t conclusive, but that it appeared to support the allegations and the child’s story of the events that allegedly took place.
After becoming aware of the alleged child molestation incidents, the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office had said they hoped that any further victims would come forward, and after an allegation of the crime was brought to the attention of law enforcement officials, Disney Cruise Line permanently terminated Lovatt.
Disney Cruise Line spokeswoman Kim Prunty issued a statement after the company became aware of the alleged crime stating that Disney has “zero tolerance for this type of unacceptable behavior.” At this time, it is unclear what evidence–or lack thereof–prompted prosecutors to drop the case against Lovatt.
In his online Mandy profile, Lovatt lists himself as an actor and freelance dance tutor and choreographer with additional skills in children’s theater. His profile further shows he trained at the Arden School of Theatre in Manchester, England.
Lovatt, who has an address in Orlando, Florida, but is listed as a citizen in England in the arrest report, and though the charges against him were dropped, Lovatt has been held without bond since his arrest in May, according to Miami-Dade jail records.
This story is still developing, and Inside the Magic will update this article as more details become available.
Source: NBC Miami and The Miami Herald