Groper on Seattle flight sentenced to prison after treating ‘victim like an object’
Feb 19, 2025, 6:17 PM | Updated: Feb 21, 2025, 3:40 pm
A 42-year-old man has been sentenced to prison after groping a woman on a flight to California from Seattl别.听(AP)
(AP)
A 42-year-old man has been sentenced to two years in prison after groping a woman on a flight to Seattle from California.聽The victim told the court that the assault 鈥渟hattered the trajectory of her life鈥� as she now has anxiety surrounding flying.
鈥淭his was a calculated and predatory sexual assault on an 18-year-old girl,鈥� Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller, in a press release. 鈥淢r. Baker underestimated the victim鈥檚 strength in testifying, as well as the commitment we have in the Western District of Washington to hold these aircraft offenders accountable.鈥�
Last year Justin Baker was flying on an Alaska Airlines flight when he sat down next to the 18-year-old woman who was entering colleg别.听
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How the assault started
Baker first started touching the woman with his knee before she moved away, according to . Court records show that Baker then showed the woman sexually explicit texts between him and his wif别.听
Baker then touched the woman鈥檚 thigh before laying his jacket over both their laps and groping her. The woman tried to move away while telling Baker to stop, however, Baker continued to grope her genitals.聽
When the woman was able to stand up to get the flight crew, documents show that Baker groped her buttocks.
Speaking in court Tuesday, Assistant United States Attorney Grace Zoller said Baker, 鈥渢reated the victim like an object鈥� He dehumanized her.鈥�
When released from prison, the U.S. Attorney’s Office says Baker will receive five years of federal supervision and must register as a sex offender.
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