Passenger groped teen trying to sleep on flight as she traveled with family, feds say
A man accused of groping a 17-year-old girl on a flight to Seattle was seen reaching for her underneath a blanket he spread out moments before, federal prosecutors said.
Abhinav Kumar, a citizen of India, assaulted the teen on an Emirates flight from Dubai to Seattle in February, when she was traveling with her family, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington.
A jury has found Kumar, 39, guilty of abusive sexual contact aboard an aircraft, prosecutors announced in a May 14 news release. The verdict was issued May 13 after Kumar pleaded not guilty in March, court records show.
His federal public defender didn’t immediately respond to McClatchy News’ request for comment on May 14. Emirates declined a request for comment on May 14.
On Feb. 18, the girl was in an aisle seat in the same row as Kumar, who was in a window seat, according to prosecutors, who said the two were separated by an empty middle seat.
After the flight took off, Kumar spoke to the teen and invited her to get coffee with him, prosecutors said. She declined.
As she tried to sleep on the plane, “Kumar spread his blanket over himself and over the middle seat,” according to prosecutors, who said footage “shows the movement of his arm under the blanket reaching toward the victim.”
About four hours into the flight, the teen told investigators she awoke to Kumar pulling her arm toward him and rubbing her fingers, an affidavit says.
Then, after “she pulled away” from his hand, prosecutors said ”the hand returned, moving up her arm, then inside her shirt, and eventually reaching her breast.”
The teen “froze,” then asked her mother to accompany her to the bathroom, according to prosecutors.
At the time, her father was sitting in front of them, while her mother and brother were seated across the aisle, according to the affidavit.
The flight crew was informed of the assault, which was reported to authorities, according to prosecutors.
After the plane landed, investigators interviewed the girl, her family and Kumar, who prosecutors said was then arrested.
During the interview, Kumar said he did not remember touching the teen, according to the affidavit.
When he learned he was accused of groping her, he denied doing so, the affidavit says.
In court on May 13, Assistant U.S. Attorney Sanaa Nagi said, “Nobody expects for a person to grope them on a flight. … The defendant did not expect the victim to be brave enough to report him.”
Kumar is facing up to two years in prison, according to prosecutors. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for Aug. 1.
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