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Criminal complaint: Woman knocked unconscious in violent cruise ship assault

BOSTON — A New York man has been charged for allegedly assaulting a woman aboard a cruise ship.

Forty-five-year-old Adam Damian Panetta of Farmingville, New York appeared in federal court in Boston on Friday for one count of assault and one count of assault resulting in substantial bodily injury.

Boston 25 News obtained a copy of the criminal report. In it, the FBI says it obtained video from the Norwegian Cruise Line's "Gem" which shows the couple walk into a bar just before 2 a.m. The woman, who is not named, appears to be unsteady on her feet. The FBI states:

"The [woman] stumbles and falls to the ground. [She] gets up and walks a few more feet and then stumbles again and falls to the ground."

Panetta helped her up and then the two left the bar.

"At 2:14 a.m., [they are] captured on the video walking down a corridor hand in hand," the report said.

Two minutes later, the assault begins with all of it caught on the ship's surveillance.

"At 2:16 a.m., Panetta is observed forcibly pulling [her] by the hair down the corridor... the full length of the hallway."

The two arrive at their cabin.

"Panetta appears to be attempted to open the door when [woman] is observed striking Panetta in the face with an open hand. Panetta then turns and punches [her] twice in the side of her head with a closed fist."

The woman is then seen falling to the ground and appears to be unconscious. A minute later, she gets up "onto her hands and knees and begins to crawl into the cabin room. Halfway in, Panetta kicks her twice in the buttocks."

The couple is then seen over 30 minutes later.

"At 2:47 a.m., Panetta and [woman] come out of the room. She is holding a white towel over her head with a red stain on it, which appears to be blood. The two walk down the hallway to the elevator. The pair take it to the ship's medical center where the woman was found to have swelling on her head and also needed 5 stitches for a laceration."

Panetta is now being held in Boston over the weekend.

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