Brian Durning: California man, 51, gropes child on Delta flight, blames AMBIEN for assault
A California man was arrested for sexually assaulting a girl on a Delta flight from Los Angeles to Orlando and later blamed the assault on drinking wine and beer before taking an Ambien. Brian Patrick Durning, 51, groped the girl, who was sitting away from her mother due to reservation issues. Durning then groped another woman who came to the child's rescue.
After Delta flight 2954 landed at Orlando International Airport from Los Angeles (LAX) around 7:30 am on Friday, June 24, federal marshals took Durning into custody, according to a criminal complaint submitted to the US District Court for the Middle District of Florida, which was also obtained by the Daily Mail. Durning, from Altadena, was sitting in an aisle seat to the left of the minor, identified as MV (Minor Victim) in legal records. MV, said to be older than 12 but younger than 16, was sitting in a middle seat.
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After the plane departed from LA, Durning ordered a glass of white wine after he had already consumed a couple of beers before boarding the flight. "After consuming the drink, Durning began to cough and sneeze on MV," the legal complaint reads. "At some point thereafter, Durning began to touch MV's hair and neck. He also tried to put his arm around MV. When he did so, MV tried to lean away from Durning."
Public records reveal that Durning runs a fitness company and operates as a real estate agent. He "also (reached) over with his right hand to touch [MV's] inner left thigh, moving her thigh toward him, as he called her 'honey-boo.' He then started to move his hand up her inner left thigh toward her groin area. He then pushed finger into her vagina, over her clothing. MV froze as a result of Durning's conduct."
The passenger sitting in the window seat, referred to as SJ, woke up from a nap to see MV being assaulted. "Upon waking up from a nap, S.J. looked to the left, in the direction of the aisle. At that time, she saw Durning quickly move his right hand away from inside MV's thigh. SJ ask MV, 'Did he touch you?' and MV responded affirmatively," the complaint states. "S.J. observed MV shaking and crying at that time."
SJ then traded seats with MV and warned Durning not to interact with the victim. "At that time, Durning attempted to touch S.J.'s breast," according to the complaint. "MV's mother states that at some point during the flight, S.J. called for her attention. When MV's mother stood up and turned back toward where S.J., MV, and Durning were seated, she (MV's mother) saw MV mouth the words, 'He touched me'."
MV's mother then allegedly "confronted the defendant" and noticed that his pants were unzipped. A flight attendant who was called over removed Durning from MV's presence. This was the last flight Durning could book through Delta as the airline reportedly banned him from ever flying on one of its aircraft again.
Durning was arrested after the plane landed in Orlando and was questioned by a federal marshal. "Durning stated that he felll asleep," according to the complaint. "He stated that the next thing he remembered was someone waking him up and asking him to switch seats."
Durning is now facing a federal charge of sexual contact with a minor and committing a crime onboard an operational aircraft. He had to surrender his passport. Durning was later released from custody and is now awaiting trial. "Delta continues to cooperate with law enforcement in this matter," Delta spokeswoman Morgan Durant said in an email to The Daily Beast. "We have zero tolerance for this type of alleged behavior on our flights and at our airports and the charged individual is no longer welcome to fly Delta."