A 33-year-old Indian American doctor has been arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for allegedly exposing himself and masturbating next to a 14-year-old girl onboard a flight.
According to the United States Attorney's Office, the incident took place in May last year on a flight from Honolulu to Boston. The doctor, identified as Dr. Sudipta Mohanty from Massachusetts, was arrested on Thursday and charged with "one count of lewd, indecent and obscene acts while in the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States".
As per the press release, Dr Mohanty, a primary care physician at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, was flying with a female companion and seated next to a 14-year-old, who was travelling with her grandparents. About halfway through the flight, the girl noticed the 33-year-old had covered himself with a blanket up to his neck and that his leg was bouncing up and down.
"Shortly thereafter, the minor observed that the blanket was on the floor, no longer covering Mohanty, and that Mohanty was masturbating. The minor moved herself to an empty seat in a different row for the remainder of the flight," the press note read.
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After landing in Boston, the girl informed her family about the incident and authorities were notified. However, according to the New York Post, Dr Mohanty denied the allegations during an investigation, saying "I have no recollection" of the incident.
Dr Mohanty appeared in federal court on Thursday and was charged with performing a lewd act in front of a teenage girl onboard a flight.
The charge carries a sentence of up to 90 days in prison, up to one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $5,000. He was released on his personal recognizance, with conditions that include staying away from people under 18 and any places where they might gather, as per the Post.
