Teenager sleeping on flight was groped, complaint alleges
The 16-year-old was asleep, sitting in a window seat on a New Jerseybound United Airlines plane, when a stranger’s hand on her thigh awakened her, according to a federal complaint.
The man sitting next to her quickly removed his hand, according to the federal complaint, and the teenager went back to sleep. Then, she woke up again — and this time, the man was groping her, the complaint says.
After he stopped, the complaint says, the teen told a United flight attendant what happened and asked to be moved to another seat.
Once the flight from Seattle landed at Newark Liberty International Airport, the girl called her parents.
While she did, the man left the airport, said Johnny McCray, an attorney for the girl’s family.
The incident last week angered the girl’s family, who questioned why United allowed the man to leave the plane and the airport after he’d been accused of a crime.
The FBI, which has jurisdiction over incidents during air travel, was contacted to take over the criminal investigation.
Investigators were later able to get a flight manifest to determine the name of the passenger seated next to the girl.
The teen picked a 28-year-old man out of a photo lineup, McCray said.
A complaint describing the charge was filed in federal court in New Jersey on July 24, the day after the alleged incident.
Court records show he was arrested and charged with knowingly engaging in sexual contact with a minor female on the same day.
The suspect has been released on bond and placed on electronic monitoring.
His court-appointed attorney could not be reached for comment.
The teen, who is from Washington state, was headed to Princeton University to take part in a leadership program, her family said.
While the Federal Aviation Administration has policies on how to deal with unruly passengers and other incidents that involve flight safety, what happens to a person accused of a crime after a plane lands is up to law enforcement.
A United spokeswoman said in an email: “The safety and security of our customers is our top priority. We take these allegations seriously and continue to work closely with the proper authorities as part of their review.”