Overview
- John Merrone pleaded guilty Wednesday to aggravated sexual abuse and related counts, admitting he gave a cadet an intoxicant and had sex with her without consent aboard the Liberty Glory in September 2019.
- Prosecutors told the court they will recommend a 188–235 month prison term but Merrone faces the statutory possibility of life imprisonment when a judge sentences him on Dec. 22.
- Court filings say Merrone used Facebook to contact cadets, invited them to his stateroom and served drinks he called “soda” as a cover for alcohol on a ship where drinking was banned.
- Authorities say at least five women have accused Merrone of drugging or sexual assault over several decades, and his earlier 2011 conviction for false imprisonment and battery was later overturned on appeal.
- The case highlights the difficulty of prosecuting crimes that occur at sea and is likely to renew scrutiny of the Merchant Marine Academy’s Sea Year program and shipboard safety measures for cadets.