Florida man, 76, accused of exposing himself and masturbating in front of woman, 21, on American Airlines flight
SUFFOLK COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS: A Florida man was arrested on Sunday, April 10, two days after he displayed multiple lewd and inappropriate acts on an American Airlines flight two days prior to the arrest. Donald Edward Robinson, 76, from Bonita Springs, Florida, has been accused of indecent behavior on a flight he flew on Friday, April 8 from Newark to Boston.
A female passenger, 21 accused the 76-year old of exposing his genitals to her and masturbating on the flight. Moreover, the man also rested his hand on her thigh, as reported by the Department of Justice in a statement they released on Sunday after the arrest. It brings to mind, a similar incident from last year where an elderly man, also aged 76, had been charged after he allegedly groped a 15-year-old girl during a flight from Texas to Montana, while the teen was traveling for a vacation with her family.
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Robinson was arrested on April 10 at Boston's Logan International Airport and is currently being charged with lewd, indecent, and obscene acts in the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States. This alleged misconduct began shortly after takeoff. The female passenger recorded a 24-second video of Robinson "fondling and manipulating his penis through his pants." Later, she claims when she looked over she saw he had fully exposed his genitals.
As stated in the DOJ's report, "Approximately five minutes before landing, Robinson allegedly placed his hand on the victim's thigh, prompting the victim to ask why he was touching her, to which Robinson withdrew his hand and looked out the window." The 21-year old then grabbed the attention of a fellow passenger and displayed a text message on her phone that read, "Hi, this man assaulted me and touched my leg and is masturbating.”
The victim then tried to bring this inappropriate incident to the attention of a flight attendant but she was unable to point at Robinson as the passengers were deplaning. Fortunately, the security footage that captured Robinson showed him repeatedly looking backward as he proceeded towards the baggage carousel level.
If convicted for his current charges of lewd and indecent behavior, Robinson could face up to 90 days in prison, a year of supervised release, and a maximum fine of $5,000. Assistant US Attorney Charles Dell'Anno is prosecuting the case. On Friday, April 8, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced the largest fines in its history to two recent travelers, totaling around $150,000. Robinson's misconduct shows how instances of unruly passengers on flight have been on the rise.