Michael Peterson: Delta passenger faces charges for masturbating and groping woman sitting next to him
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA: A man is facing federal charges for allegedly exposing himself to a woman sitting next to him before masturbating and groping her on a Delta airlines flight from Atlanta to Las Vegas.
Michael DeWayne Peterson is currently facing two federal charges of simple assault and indecent exposure. A federal complaint was filed against Peterson in the US District Court in Nevada on Wednesday, August 31. As per the federal complaint, the horrible incident happened on June 1 on Delta flight #949 from Atlanta to Las Vegas.
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The incident occurred when Peterson "engaged in masturbation in front of a female passenger." He pulled his genitals out of his pants and then groped her inner thighs shortly before reaching their destination, claims the recent criminal report. The woman told authorities that she had no prior relations with Peterson. She revealed he was looking at her intensely throughout the flight and just before the landing he placed his hands inside his pants and made gestures as if he was "masturbating" while looking at her.
The woman also alleged that about 10 minutes before the landing Peterson typed a message on his cell phone, saying "Can I take you out so we can have sex?" and placed the device on her thighs. Answering him verbally, she directly said, "No" but Peterson typed "yes" and grabbed the woman’s thigh. She smacked it away and said, "Do not touch me!", according to the complaint.
When the plane landed, the woman alerted a flight attendant who reported it to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. But before the airport authorities could catch Peterson, he made a swift exit from the gate. The authorities have revealed that the woman wants to keep her identity undisclosed and has provided a video of the whole incident. For his two criminal complaints, one of simple assault, the other of indecent exposure, Peterson could face a maximum of two years and three months in prison.
However, this is not the first time when an incident like this happened on a flight. Earlier this year, a man was arrested by Phoenix authorities for masturbating at least four times in front of a woman passenger during a three-hour flight. The man, identified as Antonio Sherrodd McGarity, allegedly pulled down his pants and started masturbating shortly after the Southwest Airlines flight from Seattle to Phoenix took off.