SEATTLE — A Federal Way man was charged with abusive sexual contact after he allegedly "repeatedly touched" a woman he did not know while on a flight from San Diego to Seattle in 2023.
Desmond D. Bostick, 25, was seated in the last row of an Alaska Airlines flight from San Diego to Seattle. The victim was seated in the middle seat while Bostick was in the aisle next to her.
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Bostick allegedly repeatedly touched the victim on the thigh and grabbed her buttocks when she stood to allow a passenger in the window seat to exit the row. He is accused of using a blanket to attempt to hide his conduct.
The victim reported the conduct to the flight crew after the plane landed, and law enforcement subsequently began investigating. The release states that the indictment was returned under seal on Sept. 27, 2023, but Bostick was not arrested and charged until Feb. 9.
The U.S. Attorney's Office says because it highlighted "an alarming increase in sexual misconduct on aircraft" in June 2023, three additional cases have been filed or adjudicated.
From 2019 to 2021 there was a 25% increase in investigations of sexual misconduct on planes, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. In 2018, there were 27 sexual misconduct investigations. In 2022, that number rose to 90 investigations, and so far this year there have been 62 investigations.
“I want to make this abundantly clear. Sexual assault on airplanes is a federal crime. The FBI along with our partners will investigate these crimes,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman in August 2023. “And I also want to make this also clear. The United States Attorney’s Office in the Western District of Washington can and will prosecute these crimes. We will support our victims and survivors.”
Gorman said close quarters and being isolated on a plane creates unique circumstances that people take advantage of. The majority of misconduct occurs while passengers are sleeping, involves drugs and alcohol, and nearly a quarter of reported victims are minors.
“Victims are not responsible for what happened to them,” said Mary Ellen Stone, CEO of the King County Sexual Assault Resource Center in August 2023. “We want to make sure that people understand that it is not the victim’s fault.”
