Acting US Attorney Tessa Gorman with FBI Special Agent in Charge Richard Collodi and Commissioner Toshiko Hasegawa from the Port of Seattle
Sexual Assault at 30-thousand feet. It’s a growing problem on passenger jets and Wednesday at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport the feds issued a public warning.
“Several of these incidents have been charged in the Western District of Washington” FBI Special Agent Richard Collodi stood with Acting US Attorney Tessa Gorman “We’ve seen a very disturbing uptick in sexual assaults on airplanes and unfortunately this is not unique to Seattle.”
The FBI reports sexual misconduct on passenger jets jumped from 27 cases nationwide in 2019 to 90 cases in 2022 and so far, this year investigations have been launched in 62 cases. “We’ve seen a 25% increase in investigations” Collodi says “Even as the rate of passengers has not returned to pre-pandemic levels.”
In 2020, 43-year-old Babek Rezapour sentenced to 2-years in federal prison for sexually assaulting a sleeping woman under a blanket on a flight from London to Seattle.
“Anyone who thinks an aircraft is the place to get away with predatory behavior can receive my personal guarantee you will meet the law” Strong words from Commissioner Toshiko Hasegawa from the Port of Seattle which is the law enforcement agency of record at SeaTac “The port police answers the call as first responders at SEA, our response is certain, it will be swift and it will be severe.”
The experts say young people are the most vulnerable “Young people are vulnerable and their least likely to come forward, they’re least likely to say anything because they’re afraid of making the situation worse” says Mary Ellen Stone with the King County Sexual Assault Resource Center.
A note to Parents: if your child is traveling alone, the safest place is an aisle seat we’re told.
