United passenger says airline made her sit beside man accused of masturbating during flight

A woman who reported a man masturbating while staring at her during a flight says she was forced to sit back beside him before he was allowed to walk free.

The 25-year-old paediatric crisis therapist claims that she alerted crew after noticing the man beside her pleasuring himself during a September 3 United Express flight from Rochester in New York to Newark in New Jersey.

She said the man, aged about 35 to 40, was “pretty normal looking” and “unassuming”, wearing hiking pants and a t-shirt.

The woman told NBC News that she immediately moved away from him and reported what had happened to the crew.

She said flight attendants allowed her to stand for much of the roughly hour-long flight.

But as the plane prepared to land, she claimed she was told to return to her original seat because there were no other seats available.

“On multiple instances, I said I feel uncomfortable doing that,” she told NBC.

The woman said she was told she would only have to sit beside the man for about five minutes while the plane landed.

But because they were seated towards the back of the aircraft, she claimed she remained beside him for much longer as other passengers disembarked.

She said the man then walked away without being questioned by police or other authorities.

When she raised the issue with a worker at the gate, she claimed she was told: “What am I supposed to do about it?”

The woman subsequently complained to United Airlines and the Federal Aviation Administration and contacted the FBI.

The incident has raised questions about how alleged sexual misconduct on aircraft is handled, with Federal prosecutors previously charging passengers over similar conduct.

In 2022, a passenger accused of exposing himself and masturbating several times during a Southwest flight from Seattle to Phoenix was met by police and FBI agents when the aircraft landed.

He later pleaded guilty to a Federal lewd-acts charge and was sentenced to 48 days in prison and probation.

In another case in 2024, a man accused of masturbating and exposing himself on an Etihad flight to Boston was arrested after a passenger reported his behaviour to a flight attendant, who alerted law enforcement.

He later pleaded guilty to a Federal charge and was sentenced to two years’ probation and a $5000 fine.

The US Department of Justice has also prosecuted other passengers over alleged indecent conduct aboard aircraft.

The woman said United later contacted her about the incident but used what she considered “offensive” and “blaming” language.

An email reportedly referred to “behaviour from another passenger that caused you concern”.

She said that wording minimised what she had reported.

“I did remove myself and ask for help,” she said. “Additionally, framing public masturbation as ‘behaviour that caused me concern’ implies that what occurred could somehow be perceived as acceptable.”

She said it was “the first time I’ve been purposely trapped by people who were supposed to be helping me”.

The woman said United offered her a $100 flight credit, despite her original trip costing about $400.

United has launched an investigation into the incident.

“The safety of our customers and colleagues is our top priority,” a United spokesperson said.

“We take these matters seriously and are looking into what happened. We have been in contact with the customer and apologised for her experience.”