Unalaska, AK – A crew member on the fishing vessel Frontier Explorer has been charged with sexual harassment and sexual assault of a National Marine Fisheries Service observer.

Victor Chavez-Ramirez, age 28, was arrested on Thursday in Unalaska by NOAA special agents, and his arraignment took place on Monday. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Skrocki alleged that Chavez-Ramirez verbally harassed and groped a NMFS observer while aboard the vessel Frontier Spirit from August to October 2008.The harassment and assault also impeded the NMFS observer's ability to monitor bycatch and collect data -- another criminal offense for which Chavez-Ramirez is being charged.

Skrocki says that while the harassment and assault were alleged to have taken place two years ago, the observer approached law enforcement only recently.

"We moved on this case relatively quickly, once the observer elected to come forward with the allegations that have been charged against Mr. Chavez-Ramirez ," says Skrocki.

Chavez-Ramirez is a Mexican citizen, and he has been working in the United States illegally. In 2006, he fled from a deportation matter in the state of Washington.

Because of his immigration status, U.S. Magistrate Judge Deborah Smith denied bail for Chavez-Ramirez and ordered his detainment. However, Skrocki does not believe that the defendant's immigration status will play a role in his upcoming trial.

"As we referred to the court at arraignment, he's got an immigration detainer pending at present, which means essentially, he's going to get deported after this case is over because of his illegal alien status," says Skrocki. "So, from our perspective, it doesn't complicate the case at all."

Both the Frontier Spirit and the Frontier Explorer are owned by the Seattle-based company Clipper Seafoods, Limited. The two freezer longliners were previously operated by the Alaska Frontier Company, but Clipper Seafoods acquired that company while the assault and harassment were allegedly taking place. Dave Little is the president of Clipper Seafoods, and he says that the Alaska Frontier Company had handled the issue.

"We bought the Alaska Frontier Company in September of 2008, and as I recall, the previous owners had an incident with this sexual harassment thing," says Little. "And that was something that they dealt with, and when we bought the company, that was their issue, not ours."

The defendant remained in Clipper Seafoods employ through this year. Little did not comment on Chavez-Ramirez's immigration status.

The trial will take place on January 11, in Anchorage.