Plane Passenger Accused of Groping 2 Women

Jairaj Singh Dhillon of California says he took an Ambien, can't remember alleged incidents
By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted Jun 2, 2022 6:17 PM CDT
Plane Passenger Accused of Groping 2 Women
A JetBlue airplane is shown at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York.   (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)

Another disturbing incident in the skies: A California man has been charged with groping two female passengers on a JetBlue flight out of Los Angeles. Federal prosecutors say Jairaj Singh Dhillon of Modesto, 42, groped the thigh and groin of the woman sitting next to him about 30 minutes into their Tuesday night flight, reports the Modesto Bee. The woman—whose infant was in a car seat in the window seat next to her—pressed the button for a flight attendant and called out to her husband, who was seated across the aisle. A woman next to the husband—she was wearing earphones and unaware of the allegation—stood up to allow him to pass, and Dhillon then allegedly groped her as she stood in the aisle.

Crew members arrived and moved Dhillon to a different section of the plane, next to an empty seat, and he was arrested upon arrival at Boston's Logan Airport, per the Washington Post. Dhillon told authorities he took an Ambien soon after takeoff and has no memory of touching the women. The women and the one woman's husband used phrases such as "seemed off" and "not all there" to describe him, per the Bee. Dhillon is charged with two counts of abusive sexual contact while in the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States, which carries a maximum sentence of three years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000, according to a release from the US Attorney's Office in Massachusetts. (More air travel stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X