Woman says she was sexually assaulted on the theft of American Airlines

A woman filed a complaint against American Airlines, saying that a man had sexually assaulted him during a Red -eyed flight from San Francisco to Dallas last year.

Barbara Morgan, a resident of California, said that shortly after taking off the flight and that the lights were sieved, the man seated next to her in the middle seat started to rub his arms against her in a deliberate attempt to touch her breasts.

She tried to create a certain distance from man, said Morgan, but he was not discouraged. “He placed his hand on the top of the applicant’s thigh, slid him to his vagina and caressed his genitals,” said the complaint, adding that the man had put a bag on his knees to hide an erection.

The trial, filed on April 24 before the American district court in the Northern District of California, one year after the alleged incident, said that the accused, Cherian Abraham, had been reported to the airline previously, but that he had been authorized to continue to fly. In March, Mr. Abraham was arrested and charged by federal abusive sexual contact investigators linked to three incidents of sexual assault against planes, including that against Ms. Morgan. Mr. Abraham pleaded not guilty to all accusations and a trial was scheduled for August 4. His lawyer could not be joined immediately to comment.

Last month, the FBI indicated that sexual assault against planes is up, with 104 cases studied by the office in 2024, against 96 in 2023. The agency warned that the number of incidents could be higher because some cases can be not reported.

“Sexual assaults generally occur on long commercial flights, and offenders tend to be men, sitting directly next to the victim and under the influence of alcohol or drugs,” the FBI said in a statement published on his website last month. “They can try to hide their activities, for example, using a blanket to cover the victim or take advantage of a dark cabin.”