Man faces federal charges after being accused of exposing himself and masturbating on flight

The man allegedly laughed after the woman hit his hand away as he groped her, court papers say

A man is accused of sexually harassing and assaulting a woman sat next to him on a flight (Getty Images)

A man is accused of indecently exposing himself, masturbating and sexually assaulting a woman that was sitting next to him on a Delta Air Lines flight.

Michael DeWayne Peterson faces charges of assault and indecent exposure after the incident on 1 June.

The woman – who has retained her anonymity – told authorities that he stared at her multiple times during the flight from Las Vegas to Atlanta.

He then put his hands inside his trousers, exposed his penis, and made gestures that “appeared as though he was masturbating,” according to reports to local police and the FBI.

About 10 minutes before the plane landed, the man allegedly put his phone in her lap, on which he typed out the message: “Can I take you out so we can have sex?”

After she said no, he is accused of typing “Yes” on his phone before grabbing her inner thigh.

The woman told authorities she hit his hand away and shouted: “Don’t touch me!”

Peterson then laughed, looked out the window, and made a “very fast” exit, the complainant added, when the plane landed at 8pm local time.

The woman reported the incident to a flight attendant, who then called a gate agent. An airline supervisor alerted police authorities.

Officers from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department were called to the airport and the FBI was later involved in the investigation.

Authorities say that, about a week after the incident, the woman provided them with footage filmed with her phone that shows Peterson appearing to masturbate.

Court papers state that Peterson had sat in the window seat – 21A – while the woman had sat in the middle seat – 21B.

Records of flight DL949 show the plane was a Boeing 757-200. The alleged perpetrator and victim’s seats were right behind a galley and near the first set of doors in the economy cabin – a setting that would have enabled him to make his quick exit.

On 31 August, almost three months after the incident, the complaint against Peterson was signed by US magistrate judge Elayna Youchah.

Peterson faces charges of simple assault and indecent exposure, for which – together – he could receive up to nine months in prison and a fine of $1,000 (about £870).

The simple assault charge carries a maximum prison sentence of six months. The indecent exposure count, borrowed from the D.C. criminal code under special aircraft jurisdiction, carries a maximum prison sentence of three months.

A Delta Air Lines spokesperson told The Independent: “Delta has zero tolerance for this alleged behavior on our flights or in our airports. This customer is no longer welcome to fly Delta.”