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A man from Mercer Island was sentenced on Friday for sexually abusing a 15-year-old on a flight in November 2021, reported the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington, .

According to U.S. Attorney Tessa Gorman, 72-year-old Munir Walji was sentenced to 10 years of supervised release, including two that must be served as home incarceration, for abusive sexual contact in special aircraft jurisdiction and attempted sexual abuse of a minor in special aircraft jurisdiction.

The attorney’s office explained Walji was convicted after a four-day jury trial in September 2024.

“This defendant unbuckled the seat belt of the teen sleeping next to him in the confines of an aircraft and reached inside her pants, attempting to reach her genitals,” Gorman said. “This is shocking conduct that traumatized the victim and impacted her family. We will continue to prosecute these cases, demonstrating our commitment to holding these perpetrators accountable.”

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The news release, citing records in the case and testimony at trial, stated Walji was sitting in the aisle seat next to the 15-year-old on a Delta Airlines flight from Atlanta to Seattle. The teen’s mom was in the window seat.

As the flight was nearing arrival, the 15-year-old felt a hand on her leg, waking her up. She moved away from Walji and tried to go back to sleep but then, the news release states, the touching became more aggressive with Walji rubbing her thigh and then unbuckling her seatbelt and reaching inside the waistband of her pants and underwear. The teen said something, causing Walji to stop.

The teen’s mother pushed the call button and flight attendants responded, moving the 15-year-old and her mother to a different row. Law enforcement was notified and Walji was arrested upon arrival in Seattle.

Prosecutors asked for a 30-month sentence, as recommended by federal pretrial officers.

“Despite Walji’s history of family support, opportunity and career success, he chose to engage in behavior worthy of society鈥檚 condemnation,” prosecutors wrote, according to the attorney’s office. “He chose to take advantage of a sleeping 15-year-old girl on a plane who did not know how to respond to this adult male鈥檚 nonconsensual sexual advances.”

However, Walji’s attorneys cited his “severe persistent health problems” which included blood cancer and reduced lung function, requiring him to take 20 medications per day. His attorneys said being in a congregate setting would be life-threatening, as stated by the news release.

Prosecutor Laura Harmon said at this juncture it was unknown whether the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) could meet Walji’s medical needs. However, according to the attorney’s office, BOP has facilities with high-level medical care for cancer patients.

Related news: 2 men sentenced to prison for sexually assaulting passengers on flights to Seattle

U.S. District Judge Tana Lin concluded that even though Walji’s conduct “called for a term of incarceration,” she wasn’t willing to risk that the BOP could not meet his medical needs.

“But for your medical conditions, I would impose a prison sentence but I am deeply concerned that a prison sentence would be a death sentence,” Lin said, as reported by the attorney’s office.

Therefore Walji was sentenced to 10 years of supervised release, a $5,000 fine and was ordered to register as a sex offender.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Wynne and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura Harmon.

Julia Dallas is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read her stories聽here. Follow Julia on聽聽and email her聽here.