BOSTON — A man traveling with his family from Puerto Rico to Boston in August 2024 is facing charges for allegedly groping a minor sitting in front of him on the plane.
Jonathan Alan Lefman, 46, of Newton, is charged with one count of abusive sexual contact while in the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States. He was arrested on Friday and will appear in federal court.
According to charging documents, on August 30, Lefman boarded a JetBlue flight flying from San Juan, Puerto Rico to Boston with his wife and four children when he sat behind a 17-year-old female.
The Department of Justice says at some point during the flight, Lefman intentionally worked his hand in between the seat and touched the teens buttocks on multiple occasions.
“At first I thought he was stretching because we all get tired,” the victim told a State Police investigator. But she “started to realize that he was really touching me” and “kept moving forward and side to side” to avoid being touched, according to charging documents.
On the last occasion, the victim was able to take a video of the Lefman’s hand sliding between the seat.
After deplaning, court documents say the victim’s adult female family member, who was on the plane in a different row, contacted a JetBlue supervisor and confronted Lefman.
The charge of abusive sexual contact while in the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States provides for a sentence of up to two years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.
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