A Los Angeles comedian who Monday sailed into Bermuda aboard Celebrity Cruise Line's Meridian , was arrested for rape Tuesday in Newark, New Jersey, as he stepped off a Continental Airlines flight from the Island.

"Star Search'' comic Vinson H. Champ -- who is suspected of carrying out a string of rapes in five US states -- was picked up by Police at the Newark International Airport.

He is expected to be extradited to Nebraska where it is alleged he raped a teacher, Assistant City Editor Bill Eddy of the Lincoln Journal-Star newspaper told The Royal Gazette .

It is the second such charge to be filed against Champ, who earlier this month was arrested and bailed for attempting to rape a woman at Pasedena City College in California.

Celebrity Cruise Director David Cole yesterday told The Royal Gazette Champ was supposed to transfer from the Meridian at Dockyard to the Zenith on Tuesday, but never booked onto the ship.

It is understood Champ boarded the Meridian in Norfolk, Virginia, and was contracted as a specialty act to entertain passengers while at sea. He would have berthed aboard ship during its Island stopover.

Mr. Cole could not say if the 35-year-old comedian had visited the Island on any previous cruises, or how long he was expected to perform.

The Associated Press however reports Champ had "cut short a month-long gig (on a cruise ship in Bermuda)'' to return to the US.

Police spokesman P.c. Gary Venning said authorities here were never notified of the case and background checks with Interpol turned up nothing.

US Authorities say Champ is suspected of raping women on college campuses in Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska, Wisconsin, and California.

Champ, who had performed near some of the colleges where the attacks took place, told the Journal Star he "was 101 percent innocent.'' Champ was picked up on an arrest warrant for a March 5 sexual assault on the teacher at the University of Nebraska in Omaha.

The victim, 30-year-old Heidi Hess, told the Journal Star it was "sickly ironic'' that a comedian has been charged with the crime.

"A comedian is supposed to be funny and make people laugh and this wasn't funny,'' she said.

Vinson H. Champ