HELL'S KITCHEN — A British man groped a woman as she danced on a Norwegian cruise ship docked at a pier in the Hudson River, the NYPD said.
The 21-year-old victim, from New Jersey, was dancing at the Bliss Ultra Lounge on the Norwegian Breakaway around 1:30 a.m. Sept. 4 when Lee Ashley Berry, 28, approached her from behind and groped her, police and a complaint filed with the Manhattan District Attorney’s office said.
The ship was docked at the Manhattan Cruise Terminal off West 48th Street — its home port since 2013 — when the incident took place, the NYPD said.
Berry, a resident of Hull, England, fled the bar after the incident, but the ship’s security followed him, police said.
The woman later identified Berry as the person who groped her, the NYPD said.
He was arrested and charged with forcible touching and sexual abuse, the DA’s office said.
Berry is currently being held at the Manhattan Detention Complex on $500 bail and is expected to next appear in court on Friday, city Department of Correction records show.
Norwegian Cruise Line, which operates the ship, and an attorney for Berry did not immediately respond to requests for comment Wednesday.
