Women Fear for Their Safety on Airplanes as Groping Cases Skyrocket

FBI data shows that the number of cases where men sexually assault young women on airplanes has been increasing. According to FBI data, the number of cases has increased since the COVID-19 pandemic.

These reports deal with cases where men inappropriately touch or grope girls who are sitting next to them on airplanes.

Reports of men groping teenage girls and young women sitting next to them on airplanes are rising, federal numbers show.

As of August 3, the FBI had investigated 62 airborne cases of sexual misconduct, surpassing pre-pandemic numbers.

The FBI, according to figures provided by The Washington Times and shared with The Washington Times in 2018, investigated 27 cases of sexual misconduct aboard aircraft. In 2019, the FBI will investigate 65 cases.

In 2020, COVID-19 flight restrictions reduced the number of incidents to 34. By 2021, that figure jumped to 81 and by last year to 90 as more travelers took to the skies.

In an email, an FBI spokesperson said that “when comparing 2019 with 2021, we’ve seen a 25% rise in investigations” even though the number of passengers is still not back to its pre-pandemic level.

The FBI reported that most unwanted gropings occurred when victims were asleep, 67% of which involved alcohol or drugs. 20% involved targets under age.

The crime of sexually abusing passengers can be punished by up to 2 years in prison or a fine of $250,000.

Vince Callahan is a Florida psychologist who said that sexual predators have become more brazen in the last five to ten years. Video games and screen time have made things that we thought were bad seem acceptable. He explained that we have a mentality of “whatever I do is okay” without considering other people.

Recent news reports have chronicled these crimes. In July, federal agents arrested a man aged 69 for placing his hands on the thigh of a teenage girl and moving them under her skirt.

A Georgia doctor was arrested after grabbing the crotch of a female passenger. Ironically, he was traveling to Maine to propose marriage to his girlfriend.

A man sentenced to prison in 2022 was found guilty of groping the female passenger sitting next to him on a flight from Atlanta.

On March 25, 2021, [Scott Russell] Granden boarded a flight traveling from St. Louis, Missouri, to Atlanta. He sat in a middle seat beside the victim, R.A.K., an emergency room nurse. R.A.K. was exhausted from a hectic day and, shortly after takeoff, tried to rest. She awoke to discover that Granden’s hand was on her thigh. She removed his hand and went back to sleep. But she woke up moments later because Granden had again placed his hand on her thigh, moved his hand towards her groin area, and, at one point, tried to kiss her. R.A.K. warned Granden to stop touching her. But he slapped R.A.K. on the buttocks when she stood up to let him pass her to go to the restroom.

A flight attendant responded to R.A.K.’s complaint about these incidents and moved Granden to a different seat. The airline company notified the Atlanta Police Department (APD) about the assault and arrested Granden when the plane arrived in Atlanta. APD officers obtained statements from R.A.K. and another passenger on the flight. Granden called the officers a series of racist and homophobic slurs during this time.

These stories show how vital it is that your female family members are safe while flying. These incidents are a small part of the flight experience, but their increasing frequency is alarming.

It may not be obvious why the increase in predatory behavior has been occurring over the last year. Some might blame video games and spending too much time online. However, predators are likely to be motivated by other factors.