A 27-year-old man, Trayton Ballot, pleaded not guilty to charges of abusive sexual contact after repeatedly touching a 17-year-old passenger on a flight from Anchorage to Seattle. The incident highlights a recent increase in reported cases of sexual misconduct on airplanes, which prosecutors attribute to more victims feeling comfortable coming forward.
Area-wide light to moderate snow develops this evening through early Sunday morning. Expect snow amounts between 3-6" for most areas.FILE IMAGE- Federal prosecutors are handling more cases of sexual misconduct aboard airplanes, but attribute the increase to victims being more willing to come forward.
“It was an overnight, red-eye flight from Anchorage, the cabin lights were dimmed, lots of people were sleeping and she was a teenager,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney Carolyn Forstein, who is handling the case. “And you also see the escalation over the course of the flight where it starts with just touching the thigh and then the kind of persistence you see throughout that pattern."The victim was in a window seat and Ballot was next to her in a middle seat.
According to data from the FBI, investigations of sexual misconduct on airplanes increased by 60% between 2019 and 2023. Many of the cases involve passengers who were asleep when they were assaulted. They also sometimes involve alcohol.Jasmine Sanders was groped by a man in 2023 when she was just 16. She said it started out with him seeing how far he could get during a flight from Anchorage to Seattle.
She did tell her parents after the flight, who encouraged her to go to police a file a report. A criminal investigation was launched and federal prosecutors took it to trial. If alerted in advance, FBI agents can be on hand when the plane lands to conduct interviews and take people into custody. If law enforcement is not able to respond on the ground, victims are encouraged to contact the nearest FBI office once they are on the ground.
SEXUAL ASSAULT AIRPLANE FEDERAL PROSECUTORS VICTIM JUSTICE
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