NJ Woman Molested On American Airlines Flight as Sex Crimes Soar

By: Karen Tovsky

Sex crimes are soaring and plane flights are getting more dangerous. Last year, the FBI opened 96 cases, all stemming from sexual assaults in the sky. The most recent attack was on a New Jersey woman who was molested while she slept on an American Airlines flight from Charlotte, North Carolina to Newark Liberty Airport. She is now suing the airline for not protecting her.

Her report of what happened is a little graphic. According to the NY Post, she was sitting between a friend of hers and a man she didn’t know. Shortly after the plane took off, the flight attendant turned the cabin lights off and the woman fell asleep.

The characteristics of onboard sexual assault tend to be “strikingly similar,” according to the FBI. The attacks generally occur when the cabin is dark, and the victims are usually in a window or middle seat. They report waking up to their seatmate’s hands inside their clothing or underwear.

This is exactly what happened to the NJ woman. When she awoke, the man who had been sitting beside her had covered them with his coat. His left arm was inside her pants; he had digitally penetrated her, and his right hand was forcing her hand onto his penis. He then climbed on top of her, attempting to penetrate her with his penis, which he was partially able to do,” according to the NY Post.

She was horrified and terrified, but worked up the courage to push him away. Luckily, he stopped, went back to his seat and tried to act as though nothing had happened. She woke her friend, who reported the alleged assault to a flight attendant, and the woman was moved to a different seat for the rest of the flight.

When the plane finally touched down on the ground, the man was escorted off, and authorities took reports from the victim and other passengers and witnesses. It’s unknown whether the man was charged with the crime.

According to the NY Post, the lawsuit contends that the airline industry “is well aware” of a sharp uptick in onboard sexual assault allegations, and claims American Airlines breached its duty of care by failing to properly monitor the cabin, failing to prevent the sexual assault, and failing to promptly intervene when the assault occurred.