North Carolina man accused of inappropriately touching teen on flight to Seattle, arrested

Saman Shafiq, USA TODAY
Updated ·2 min read
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A flight attendant checks on passengers on a recent Delta flight from Atlanta.

A North Carolina man was arrested on a flight to Seattle after a teenage girl's guardian told flight attendants that the man had inappropriately touched the teen, according to federal prosecutors.

Jack Allen Roberson, 69, was arrested as his plane landed at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport Sunday evening and charged with abusive sexual contact, federal prosecutors said in a statement. Roberson will remain in federal custody pending a detention hearing on July 19, 2023.

Records filed in the case stated that Roberson was seated next to the 15-year-old victim who was traveling with her guardian. Sometime during the flight, prosecutors said he "slipped his hand onto the victim’s thigh and ran it up under her skirt and towards her genitals,", adding that he appeared to be sleeping at that moment.

The victim reported the unwelcome touch to her guardian, who took the matter up with the flight attendant. Roberson was moved to a different seat for the remainder of the flight and arrested and taken to the Federal Detention Center at SeaTac, upon the flight's arrival in Seattle. The case is being investigated by the FBI.

The statement added that abusive sexual contact on an aircraft is punishable by up to two years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

In an update Thursday, The United States Attorney's Office, Western District of Washington, said that during the suspect's detention hearing on Thursday, the court "found that his history of heavy drinking makes him a danger unless he is released to inpatient treatment and then it will be with GPS monitoring." The judge ordered Roberson detained and efforts are being made to find him a suitable treatment option. A status hearing has been scheduled for Monday.

McClatchy News reported that the incident took place on a Delta flight that originated in Atlanta. The media outlet said Delta released a statement that said: "Delta has zero tolerance for criminal activity of any type on our flights and at our airports.”

“As such, we work with the requisite authorities when passengers engage in such activity to ensure they are prosecuted to the fullest extent," it added.

Delta Airlines has not responded to USA TODAY's request for a comment.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: North Carolina man accused of touching teenager on Delta flight: Feds