Spirit Airlines passenger gets nine years in jail for in-flight sexual assault

A man convicted of sexually assaulting his female seatmate on a Spirit Airlines flight was sentenced to nine years in federal prison.

Prabhu Ramamoorthy, 35, was convicted in August of molesting the passenger while she slept, even though he was sat next to his wife.

He was handed down the hefty prison term last week at a sentencing hearing.

“The sexual assault woke her up, she found her pants unbuttoned and unzipped, and she sought help from the flight attendants,” the US Attorney’s Office said.

“The sentence is proof that the safety and security of all aircraft passengers is a priority for the FBI, our local and federal law enforcement partners, and airline personnel,” said Timothy R. Slater, FBI special agent.

Foreign national Ramamoorthy will be deported after serving the sentence.

The FBI says investigations into in-flight sexual assaults have grown by 66% since 2014.

source: Travel Mole
photo: Getty Images