Sex Assault At 35,000 Feet: Officials Warn Of Increasing Attacks

SEATTLE, WA - Two men from out of state were arrested recently for sexually assaulting women during flights bound for Sea-Tac, according to the U.S. Attorney in Seattle. Federal officials used the arrests to warn travelers that in-flight assaults are apparently on the rise.

The crime of abusive sexual contact aboard a flight is only punishable by only up to two years in federal prison, however. In January, doctor Vijaykumar Krishnappa was sentenced to just 90 days for assaulting a Seattle teen during a 2017 flight from Sea-Tac to New Jersey.

"Reports of sexual assaults on aircraft are increasing, and we want the public to know these assaults are federal crimes and will be investigated and prosecuted consistent with the law,” U.S. Attorney Annette Hayes said in a press release. “We urge the flying public to report assaults to airline personnel and law enforcement and assist victims who need help. The skies will be safer for all of us.”

There have been at least 10 sex assaults reported on flights in the U.S. since January, according to the FBI.

Here's what happened during the two most recent assaults:

• On Jan. 10, Babak Rezapour, 41, of Van Nuys, Calif., allegedly assaulted a woman on a flight from London to Seattle. Rezapour allegedly gave the woman a glass of wine after she took anti-anxiety medication. She fell asleep, and then awoke to find Rezapour assaulting her. He used his jacket to hide the assault from other passengers.
• On a flight from Anchorage to Sea-Tac, Nicholas M. Stevens, 37, switched his seat to sit next to a woman and then began harassing her, according to federal officials. He began by trying to hold her hand and rest his head on her shoulder. He then allegedly escalated to grabbing her thigh and breasts. Another passenger intervened, and the victim reported the assault to a member of the Alaska Airlines flight crew.

"If you feel that you are the victim of a crime, let the flight crew know or call 911 the moment you land anywhere in the country. If you land at our airport, a Port of Seattle Police Officer will be there to help you the moment you get off the plane," Port of Seattle deputy chief Mike Villa said in a press release.

File photo by Neal McNamara/Patch