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The Department of Justice has revealed that the Federal Bureau of Investigation is looking into an incident of sexual harassment on a flight from Chicago to Seattle. A 54-year-old passenger from Allen, Texas, was charged with abusive sexual contact after allegedly groping a 22-year-old woman during the flight on March 18.
According to the DOJ, the accused and the victim were seated next to each other. The victim reported three instances of inappropriate touching. Initially, the contact seemed accidental, but as the incidents repeated, the victim responded by confronting the man. "The first time the victim thought perhaps it was inadvertent contact. The second time, some five minutes later, the victim looked pointedly at [the defendant], and he withdrew his hand. Apparently undeterred, the victim felt [the defendant] again poking her with his hand, and she verbally confronted him,” stated the DOJ.
Following the confrontation, the victim contacted a flight attendant and was moved to another seat. Upon arrival at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, both the defendant and victim were interviewed. The defendant was arrested on March 23 and appeared in court on March 24. He has denied any misconduct and was released on bond. A preliminary hearing is set for April 7. The DOJ outlined, “The charges contained in the criminal complaint are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.”
