Passenger indicted for alleged mid-flight sexual assault
Passenger indicted for alleged mid-flight sexual assault.
A United passenger has been indicted by a grand jury for allegedly sexually assaulting a 19-year-old woman on a July 2018 flight.
George Seryogin, a Massachusetts resident, and the 19-year-old woman, referred to as “Jane Doe,” were flying from Narita International Airport in Tokyo, Japan, to Washington Dulles International Airport.
He has been accused of “an intent to abuse, humiliate, harass, and degrade” her and “knowingly and intentionally (engaging) in sexual contact with ‘Jane Doe,’ without her permission,” according to a U.S. District Court document filed May 16. He was arrested in the Eastern District Court of Virginia.
The pair were seated next to each other on the flight, according to an FBI affidavit filed in April. Seryogin, the woman and their seatmate chatted briefly when settling into their seats. The alleged victim and Seryogin had never met before.
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According to the affidavit, Seryogin “put his hand against the Victim’s vagina, through her clothing and without her permission.” The woman reportedly waited a few minutes after the assault to go and use the restroom and reported the sexual assault.
In a subsequent interview, Seryogin said that he had several drinks on the flight but that he wasn’t “drunk” nor was he under the influence of medications. He alleges he fell asleep four to five hours into the flight.
Seryogin claimed he couldn’t remember touching the accuser but that “it could have been possible because he does move around while sleeping,” according to the affidavit.
