{"id":8599,"date":"2025-05-01T19:27:57","date_gmt":"2025-05-01T23:27:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sharewatch.com\/wp\/2025\/05\/01\/woman-says-she-was-sexually-assaulted-on-american-airlines-flight\/"},"modified":"2025-05-01T19:27:57","modified_gmt":"2025-05-01T23:27:57","slug":"woman-says-she-was-sexually-assaulted-on-american-airlines-flight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sharewatch.com\/wp\/2025\/05\/01\/woman-says-she-was-sexually-assaulted-on-american-airlines-flight\/","title":{"rendered":"Woman Says She Was Sexually Assaulted on American Airlines Flight"},"content":{"rendered":"
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A woman has filed a lawsuit against American Airlines, saying a man sexually assaulted her during a red-eye flight from San Francisco to Dallas last year.<\/p>\n

Barbara Morgan, a California resident, said that shortly after the flight took off and the lights were dimmed, the man sitting next to her in the middle seat started rubbing his arms against her in a deliberate attempt to touch her breasts.<\/p>\n

She tried to create some distance from the man, Ms. Morgan said, but he was undeterred. \u201cHe placed his hand on the plaintiff\u2019s upper thigh, slid it up toward her vagina and fondled her genitals,\u201d the complaint said, adding that the man put a bag on his lap to conceal an erection.<\/p>\n

The lawsuit, filed on April 24 in the U.S. District Court for 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 was allowed to keep flying. In March, Mr. Abraham was arrested and charged by federal investigators with abusive sexual contact linked to three incidents of sexual assault on airplanes, including the one against Ms. Morgan. Mr. Abraham pleaded not guilty to all charges and a trial has been scheduled for Aug. 4. His attorney could not immediately be reached for comment.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<\/div>\n

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Last month, the F.B.I. reported that sexual assault on airplanes is on the rise, with 104 cases investigated by the bureau in 2024, up from 96 in 2023. The agency warned that the number of incidents could be higher as some cases may have gone unreported.<\/p>\n

\u201cSexual assaults typically occur on long commercial flights, and offenders tend to be male, seated directly next to the victim, and under the influence of alcohol or drugs,\u201d the F.B.I. said in a statement published on its website last month. \u201cThey may try to conceal their activities, for instance, by using a blanket to cover the victim or taking advantage of a darkened cabin.\u201d<\/p>\n

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