WASHINGTON – A 34-year-old Indian national was arrested and charged forsexually abusing a woman onboard a flight in Michigan on Thursday, reportedThe Washington Post. Prabhu Ramamoorthy, who is living in the United Stateson a temporary visa, is accused of abusing a 22-year-old on a SpiritAirlines flight from Las Vegas to Detroit on January 3. His wife wasreportedly sitting beside him at the time of the incident.

The victim, in a statement to investigators, said she had fallen asleep onthe flight and woke up to find her pants and shirt unbuttoned and the man’shand inside her pants. The accused was sitting between his wife and thevictim.

In statements to the police, Ramamoorthy and his wife gave similaraccounts, saying the accused had taken a pill, “plain Tylenol” and fallenasleep. They claimed the victim had fallen asleep on the accused’s kneesand that they had requested to change their seats.

Federal prosecutor Amanda Jawad said the victim had reported the incidentto a flight attendant, about 40 minutes before the plane had landed. At thetime, the accused’s wife had interrupted to enquire about the matter.

“It seems that (the wife) is either colluding with the defendant to coverup his actions or she’s completely oblivious to what he did,” Jawad argued.“What makes this offence particularly egregious and the defendant even moreof a danger to the community is the fact that it took place on an airplane.He was brazen enough to do this basically in public, next to his wife whereanyone could have seen him.”

Ramamoorthy’s lawyer, meanwhile, said, “I have a hard time with some ofthese allegations but that’s what a trial is for.”