United States v. Neil
United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
312 F.3d 419 (9th Cir. 2002)
Neil (defendant), a citizen of St. Vincent and the Grenadines working aboard a cruise ship that departed from and returned to a U.S. port, sexually abused a minor who was an American citizen while the ship was in Mexican waters, in violation of a federal statute applying to the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States. The victim underwent counseling and missed school as a result. Neil moved to dismiss for lack of jurisdiction, but the district court denied the motion and convicted him.
Whether a country may exercise extraterritorial jurisdiction over a matter where the crime occurred outside its territory but was committed against one of its own nationals.