Cops Say Intoxicated Carnival Passenger Allegedly Beat Kids Playing Tag Aboard Ship

A Georgia man is facing child abuse charges after police say a drunken outburst aboard a Carnival cruise ship turned into an attack on children who were simply playing tag in a hallway, as reported by Fox News.

David Lawrence Crosby II, 44, of Surrency, Georgia, was arrested July 27 by the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office on two counts of child abuse, according to booking records.

The alleged incident happened July 26 aboard Carnival Glory, a cruise ship that commonly sails from Port Canaveral in Florida to the Bahamas. What was supposed to be a family vacation apparently took a hard turn into the kind of chaos no parent signs up for when buying cruise tickets.

According to a probable cause affidavit, Crosby was allegedly running down a hallway when he came upon three children who were playing tag. Police say he then struck one child in the face, leaving the child with a bloody lip and head pain.

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Authorities said Crosby is also accused of hitting a second child in the stomach. That is a long way from normal rowdy cruise behavior, and exactly the sort of alleged conduct that turns a vacation hallway into a crime scene.

Officials said the incident was captured by the ship’s security camera system. In other words, this was not merely a dispute built on conflicting memories after a long day at sea.

When Crosby was arrested Monday, he told officers he was “heavily intoxicated” and did not remember hitting the children, authorities said. That may explain the behavior, but it certainly does not excuse it.

Carnival Cruise Line told Fox News Digital that its security team “responded immediately” after the alleged incident was reported. For families on board, immediate action is exactly what should happen when children are allegedly attacked by an adult passenger.

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“Our security team responded immediately to an incident involving an intoxicated guest aboard Carnival Glory on July 26,” a Carnival spokesperson said.

Carnival said Crosby was kept away from other passengers after the confrontation. The company also made clear that his alleged behavior carried consequences beyond a stern talking to from ship staff.

“The guest was confined to his cabin for the remainder of the voyage, referred to local law enforcement upon arrival in Port Canaveral, assessed a code of conduct violation fee and placed on our Do Not Sail list. We have zero tolerance for this type of behavior.”

That response is the bare minimum passengers should expect from a major cruise line. Families pay to relax, not to wonder whether an allegedly intoxicated stranger is going to barrel down a hallway and put hands on their kids.

Court records show Crosby was released from jail Tuesday after posting $10,000 bond on each count, for a total of $20,000. He appeared in court Wednesday and pleaded not guilty, according to court documents.

Crosby is scheduled to be arraigned Aug. 25. The case now moves into the court system, where prosecutors will have to present the evidence behind the allegations.

Fox News Digital reported that it contacted the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office, the public defender’s office and a Georgia business linked to Crosby for comment. The business answering machine reportedly said it was closed as of Tuesday, the same day Crosby was released from jail, because of a “family emergency.”

Cruise ships are floating cities, and like any city, they need rules that are enforced. If the allegations are proven, this case is a reminder that alcohol, bad judgment, and a captive vacation crowd can become a very ugly combination fast.

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