Doctor charged with masturbating, exposing himself in front of minor on Hawaiian Airlines flight
A Boston doctor was arrested and charged with masturbating and exposing himself on a flight in view of a 14-year-old girl last year.
The Department of Justice said in a statement Thursday that Sudipta Mohanty, 33, was taken into custody for his conduct on a Hawaiian Airlines flight from Honolulu to Boston on May 27, 2022.
“About half-way through the flight, the minor allegedly observed that Mohanty had covered himself with a blanket up to his neck and that Mohanty’s leg was bouncing up and down,” the statement said. “Shortly thereafter, the minor observed that the blanket was on the floor, no longer covering Mohanty, and that Mohanty was masturbating. The minor moved herself to an empty seat in a different row for the remainder of the flight.”
According to the DOJ, the girl told members of her family what happened after moving, and law enforcement was subsequently notified.
“Everyone, especially children, has the absolute right to not be exposed to lewd conduct when they are traveling,” acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy said in the statement. “If you engage in the type of illicit behavior alleged here, you will be caught and held accountable wherever it happens.”
The FBI has been stepping up enforcement of and prosecution for inflight crimes.
“Today’s arrest should make it crystal clear that the FBI takes crimes aboard aircraft seriously, everything from sexual misconduct as alleged in this case, to assault, interfering with the flight crew, and theft. If you’ve been the victim of a crime aboard an aircraft or have witnessed one take place, we ask you to report it to both your flight crew and the FBI,” added Christopher DiMenna, acting special agent in charge of the FBI’s Boston division.
Mohanty’s court records did not list an attorney, and the federal public defender’s office in Boston would not comment on the case.
Cruising Altitude: Sexual assault can happen in the air: What you should know.
Experts recently told Paste BN that victims of sexual assault during flights must first remember that what happened to them is not their fault and should also try to report the incident to authorities as soon as possible if they feel comfortable doing so. The 14-year-old’s actions in Mohanty’s case were exactly in line with their advice.
“The twins of shame and blame keep you silent. It keeps you from not disclosing to law enforcement, to someone that you trust, it keeps you from getting help, and that in and of itself could have the effect of weakening a case that could be brought against the wrongdoer,” Judie Saunders, who leads the sex abuse department at ASK LLP, previously told Paste BN.
Zach Wichter is a travel reporter for Paste BN based in New York. You can reach him at zwichter@usatoday.com