A woman asleep on a Continental flight from Hong Kong to Newark, NJ was sexually assaulted by a male passenger seating next to her.
Federal prosecutors say a New Jersey man sexually assaulted a sleeping female passenger on flight from Hong Kong to Newark.
Ramesh Advani is charged with abusive sexual contact.
Prosecutors say the 63-year-old Berkley Heights resident was seated next to the woman on the Continental Airlines flight.
Authorities say Advani reached under her blanket and sexually abused her.
Authorities say two passengers seated behind the pair observed what was happening and kicked the woman's seat to wake her. The woman awoke and alerted the flight crew.
Advani was detained when the plane landed in Newark on Friday.
As someone who flies frequently and enjoys an in-flight nap rather than be bored to tears for 4 hours or more, this is very troubling. You would think that no one would be so disturbed as to try something like that in such a confined space surrounded by witnesses like an airplane. But apparently Ramesh Advani is just such a headcase. Kudos to the fellow passengers that woke up the woman. I can only imagine how frightening it must have been to be awakened suddenly by passengers kicking your seat while some lunatic in the next seat has his hands all over you.
Now when flying I guess you have to watch for shoe bombers, underwear bombers, and perverts. As part of your carry-on you should bring an iPod, a small pillow, mace and a can of Red Bull so you can sit stick straight and alert in your seat. Sigh, flying is really becoming such a hassle.
