Man, 71, charged with assaulting 14yo girl on cruise ship off Queensland

A 14-year-old girl was allegedly grabbed by a stranger onboard a cruise ship in waters off the Australian coast, prompting staff to intervene.

A 71-year-old man has been charged after he allegedly assaulted a teenage girl onboard a cruise ship off the coast of Queensland.

Police allege the man - who was not known to the 14-year-old - approached the girl near a lift shortly before 11pm on Thursday and grabbed her.

The man was arrested when the ship docked at the Port of Brisbane. Picture: NewsWire / John Gass

The teenager alerted nearby staff, who quickly intervened.

The girl was not physically harmed.

Detectives from the Gateway Child Protection and Investigation Unit arrested the man at the Port of Brisbane on Saturday morning, following the alleged incident late Thursday night.

The man has been charged with deprivation of liberty and two counts of common assault.

Police have objected to the man’s bail and he is expected to appear in Brisbane Magistrates Court on Monday.