A Pennsylvania man has been sentenced after being convicted of sexually abusing a minor while she was sleeping next to him on an American Airlines flight. The teen woke to the man assaulting her, which had to be a terrifying thing to experience. It’s unknown if the girl was traveling alone.
Now, the 46-year-old man is facing months in jail as well as having to pay restitution. Hopefully, the victim, whose information has been withheld because of her age, is able to find healing after such a scary experience and process.
More from CafeMom: Mom Discovers Husband Was Sexually Abusing Her Disabled Daughter; Now She Wants Justice
The man has been sentenced.
The US Attorney’s Office has announced that the man, Edward Decker of West Chester, Pennsylvania, was sentenced for abusive sexual contact with a minor. The girl, who is between 12 and 16 years old, was sitting near Decker on a flight to Philadelphia and sleeping when he assaulted her.
Decker will face jail time and pay money.
According to US Attorney Jacqueline Romero, via the news release, Decker pleaded guilty to the July 29, 2022, incident back in May. He has been sentenced to “six months’ imprisonment, one year of supervised release, and $4,000 in restitution for abusive sexual contact on an aircraft.”
More from CafeMom: Former Model Says Donald Trump Groped Her After Jeffrey Epstein Introduced Them
The details of Decker's actions are disturbing.
“There’s no excuse for touching anyone in a sexual manner without their consent — let alone a sleeping underage stranger,” Romero said in a news release shared by CBS News.
According to the US Attorney’s Office, Decker touched the girl’s thigh and breast while she was sleeping. She woke up to the man’s hands and face under the clothes she was wearing.
It's terrifying to think about something like this happening.
“The facts of this case are incredibly disturbing — a parent’s nightmare, really,” Romero said, NBC Philadelphia reported. “Not only should people feel safe putting their kids on a plane to get from Point A to Point B, everyone should feel free to close their eyes mid-flight without fearing a seatmate’s intentions. We and the FBI will continue to crack down on these crimes aboard aircraft, to support and ensure justice for the victims.”
Hopefully, something like this doesn't happen to any other girls.
“This guilty plea demonstrates that those who commit sexual assault aboard aircrafts will be held responsible,” Wayne A. Jacobs, special agent in charge of FBI Philadelphia, said in a press release shared by NBC Philadelphia.
“Every person has an expectation of and, indeed, the right to fly on a U.S. aircraft without being abusively sexually contacted,” Jacobs continued. “Our office and the US Attorney’s Office will continue to ensure both that victims of such crimes are supported and that those who commit such crimes are held accountable.”
