A jury convicted a New Jersey man of sexual abuse and abusive sexual contact of the woman sitting in the seat next to him on a United flight from Phoenix to Newark in federal court today.
The federal government has jurisdiction in crimes that happen on airplanes.
Askal had to surrender all of his travel documents and avoid contact with anyone involved in the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Harris considered Askal to be a significant flight risk because he had few assets in the United States and faces life in prison.
The victim testified under an assumed name due to the nature of the charges. She sat in the gallery behind the prosecution table today when the verdict was announced.
"I'm relieved that justice has been served," she told The Record of Woodland Park. "I am glad that I can move forward knowing that I made the right decision by speaking up. I hope that others won't let the humiliation of a trial hold them back from keeping sexual molesters off the street."
Aksal claimed that the woman came on to him.
"This was a crime of violence," Harris told the judge . "An egregious act in a commercial airliner with over 100 potential witnesses."
Image: By InSapphoWeTrust from Los Angeles, California, USA, via Wikimedia Commons