Gursel Sahinbas, the director of Disney’s Castaway Cay private island in the Bahamas, was reportedly charged with rape and indecent assault after a Florida woman reported him to authorities.
Sahinbas is accused of raping a 29-year-old woman on a beach after coaxing her into going for a swim at the shipwrecked theme resort, according to a report by Daily Mail.
The alleged victim repeatedly begged the 65-year-old to stop, but Sahinbas — a married man — continued to grope her while they were in the water, sources told the outlet.
The woman later reported the alleged attack to Bahamian officials based in the United States, one week after returning home to Florida on September 22.
After her written complaint was sent to the Royal Bahamas Police Force, authorities arrested Sahinbas on Great Abaco island, near Disney’s Castaway Cay.
On Thursday morning, Sahinbas appeared in Nassau Court — where he was granted $15,000 cash bail and ordered not to contact the alleged victim.
His attorney, Tamika Roberts, reportedly asked that Sahinbas be able to return to his home in Liverpool, England. Judge Petra Hanna agreed to the request, but said the Disney director must return to the Bahamas for a hearing on January 21.
Roberts also told the court that due to the allegations, Sahinbas “is no longer employed at Disney Cruise line.”
In May, Sahinbas was featured as the Disney Castaway Cay island director in a Nassau Guardian article about Abaco students learning “the love of farming” from volunteers.
Sahinbas reportedly joined the students in harvesting lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumbers, as well as planting new seedlings for next season’s crops.
“We were amazed to see the students’ enthusiasm and knowledge about their crops,” Sahinbas told the newspaper at the time. “It was inspiring to see their eagerness to learn and make an impact in the world around them.”
Alana Mastrangelo is a reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow her on Facebook and X at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram.
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