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Maryland man convicted of raping a 17-year-old on the 'Carnival Legend' had sexually assaulted eight other people

A Maryland man convicted of raping a 17-year-old on the 'Carnival Legend' had sexually assaulted eight other people, the FBI learned during its investigation, according to court documents. Jalen Thomas Kelley, 22, of Abingdon, Maryland, has been found guilty of aggravated sexual abuse, sexual abuse and assault in connection with the incident aboard the 'Carnival Legend', the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland said on Dec. 13, 2024: Kelley “forcibly raped” the teen, who was vacationing with her family for the holidays, between Jan. 1, 2023 and Jan. 2, 2023, the day the cruise was returning to a Baltimore port. During Kelley’s two-week trial, jurors heard testimony from six people who accused Kelley of sexually assaulting them on different occasions. In 2019, he was convicted as a minor in a sexual assault case, according to prosecutors. While the FBI was investigating him, four months after the cruise, he raped a classmate at Wingate University in North Carolina. While Kelley was a junior at Wingate University, he met the 17-year-old on the cruise ship after a New Year’s Eve party the early morning of Jan. 1, 2023. The night of Jan. 1, 2023, Kelley took the teen to his cabin when she needed a restroom. When she stepped outside the bathroom, Kelley pushed her on the bed, “face first,” and raped her, prosecutors said. “After raping (her), Kelley asked, ‘You good?,’” according to court documents. The teen then left his room. After the cruise returned to Baltimore, she and her family went home to Virginia, where she reported the rape to her parents and police. She was examined at a Virginia hospital and had bruises on her right arm and shins, as well as “vaginal abrasions, tearing and bruising,” prosecutors wrote in court documents. In April 2023, Kelley denied raping the teen while speaking with FBI agents who visited him at Wingate University. He told agents that he and the girl had kissed and touched each other outside of his room before he let her use the bathroom, and he told them he thought she was under the influence. “Kelley saw that (she) was intoxicated (by his own admission), realized she was vulnerable, and offered to take her to the bathroom,” prosecutors wrote in court documents. He “took full advantage of the situation,” they said. The FBI arrested Kelley at Wingate University on Sep 20, 2023. After seeing a news release about his arrest, a student reported Kelley had raped her. As of Nov 2023, there was an outstanding arrest warrant for Kelley for second-degree forcible rape out of Union County, North Carolina, in connection with that victim. It’s unclear whether he was arrested in that case. “Kelley has an alarming history of allegations of sexual assault from males and females spanning from early 2017 through September 2023,” prosecutors wrote in court documents. In the federal case, Kelley faces up to life in prison, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Cruise ship diverted after bridge collapse

Due to the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, the 'Carnival Legend' is unable to reach Baltimore’s Cruise Ship Terminal at the end of its current trip, which left the port on March 24, 2024. In the evening of March 26 passengers were informed they would be diverted to Norfolk instead of returning to Charm City. The 'Carnival Legend'’s Baltimore operations were moved to Norfolk, Virginia by the Carnival Cruise Line. Guests will be provided free bus transportation back to Baltimore.

Cruise ship suffered engine malfunction

The 'Carnival Legend' suffered engine trouble on the afternoon of Feb 24, 2024 off the coast of Florida, leading to a delayed return to Baltimore and a postponed embarkation for the passengers on Feb 25. The vessel, en route from the Bahamas to Baltimore, experienced an engine malfunction, prompting a halt in its movement. In the evening, the ship was off the coast of West Palm Beach, Florida, with a northward trajectory, sailing at a speed of four knots. The next morning, the ship made an unscheduled stop at Port Canaveral, and has since resumed course towards Baltimore, maintaining a cruising speed of 19 knots. Given the altered schedule, guests scheduled to board Carnival Legend on Feb 25 have been informed of the delay in embarkation. An alert has been issued, advising: "The ship has developed an issue that is affecting its cruising speed and will be returning later than scheduled. As a result, embarkation for your cruise will be revised. We will continue to monitor the situation and provide you with timely updates. Please do not proceed to the cruise terminal until you receive our final update. We will be in touch by 2:00 (ET), Saturday, February 24. We apologize for this unexpected change of plans and thank you for your understanding." The ship had set off from Maryland on Feb 18 for a 7-night cruise to Half Moon Cay and Freeport, originally slated to conclude her voyage in Baltimore on Feb 25.