Palm Springs Couple Accused Of Cruise Ship Sex Headed Home

Two Palm Springs men accused of having sex on board a chartered cruise ship in the island country of Dominica were returning home to Southern California on Thursday.

The Dominican Net reported John Robert Hart, 41, and Dennis Jay Mayer, 53, were both arrested on Wednesday after several local residents reported seeing them “openly having gay sex” while the ship was docked.

On Thursday morning, both men pleaded guilty to indecent exposure as prosecutors dropped a more serious “buggery” charge. They both paid a nearly $900 fine.

Police Chief Cyril Carette said the decision was made to drop the buggery charges based on the long judicial process that comes along with it.

“We decided that it was in our best interest to deal expeditiously with the issue and get the individuals out of our island as quickly as possible,” Carette said.

“People coming to our island must be in conformity with our laws, and if these laws are violated, they must be prepared to suffer the consequences.”

A “buggery” charge, which is more commonly known as a sodomy law in the United States, carries a possible 10-year prison sentence in Dominica and many other Caribbean islands.

After Thursday morning’s court proceedings, both men were expelled from the island, and were expected to leave the island Thursday afternoon.

Hart and Mayer own two homes together in the Palm Springs area, according to records obtained by Gulf Coast Broadcasting.

The Celebrity X cruise ship docked Wednesday, and was chartered by the Atlantis cruise line, which caters to a gay clientele.

Atlantis representatives were not available for comment.