Indian American Man Arrested for Groping Two Women on a Los Angeles-Boston Redeye Flight
- Jairaj Singh Dhillon, 42, of Modesto, was charged with two counts of abusive sexual contact while in the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States.
A California man was arrested for allegedly groping two women on a cross-country redeye flight from Los Angeles to Boston on June 1. Jairaj Singh Dhillon, 42, of Modesto, was charged with two counts of abusive sexual contact while in the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States. The charge of abusive sexual contact while in the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States provides for a sentence of up to three years in prison, up to one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.
According to a Department of Justice press release, Dhillon allegedly touched the first victimâs thigh and groin area while she was taking care of her infant child who was in a car seat in the window seat next to her. The first victim allegedly called for help and stated out loud, âthis man just groped me,â the DOJ said.
The second victim, who was seated in the aisle seat opposite Dhillon, reported that Dhillon allegedly reached out with both hands and simultaneously grabbed her groin and buttocks when she was standing in the aisle.
The flight crew then intervened and moved Dhillon to another part of the plane for the duration of the flight. When the flight arrived in Boston, law enforcement escorted Dhillon off the plane and placed him under arrest.
When interviewed by investigators, Dhillon said he was a truck driver flying to pick up a trailer tractor that he planned to drive back to California. He claimed that he took an Ambien sleeping pill about 15 or 20 minutes into the flight and that he had no memory of touching the two women who accused him of groping.
The Modesto resident made an initial appearance before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Judith G. Dein. He was held in custody pending a detention hearing scheduled for June 2.