British Airways passenger 'groped' while sleeping on flight
A man was 'caught groping' a woman's breast for five minutes on a British Airways flight from London to San Francisco.
Police said the woman was asleep when the man reached over from behind and put his hand down her shirt making "skin-to-skin contact" while other passengers watched on the 15 April flight.
The Daily Mail reports that Vinay Pochampally was allegedly intoxicated at the time of the incident which took place two hours into the flight.
FBI Agent Bianca Betz said in court documents obtained by New York Daily News: "While in that gap, Pochampally inserted his hand, palm-side down, into the shirt of the sleeping female passenger."
She added that his hand was "underneath the passenger's shirt and undergarments for approximately four to five minutes, making skin-to-skin contact in the breast and upper chest area."
When his victim woke up, Pochampally removed his hand and ran down the aisle.
According to a U.S. District Court criminal complaint, "multiple passengers witnessed the incident" and reported it to British Airways crew members.
Pochampally was confronted by staff and he was ordered to move to a different seat for the rest of the 10-hour flight, The Smoking Gun reports.
Police arrested him at San Francisco International Airport and he was charged with simple assault. He faces a maximum penalty of six months in jail.
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