Man Gropes Sleeping Teen On Plane, Masturbates While Staring At Her: Prosecutors

A 39-year-old man groped a sleeping teenager and masturbated while staring at her on a commercial flight from Indiana to Colorado four years ago, prosecutors said Wednesday.

Ian Wagner, of New Haven, Indiana, pleaded guilty Wednesday to one count of abusive sexual contact in connection with the incident, according to a press release on the Department of Justice website.

Wagner was seated next to the then-18-year-old victim on a domestic Frontier Airlines flight from Indianapolis, Indiana, to Denver, Colorado, on Oct. 6, 2017. The teen fell asleep at one point during the flight but later awoke to Wagner rubbing her inner thigh with his hand.

The victim jerked away from Wagner and took a photo of the man. Geolocation data associated with the photo indicated that the plane was flying over Hastings, Nebraska, when the incident occurred.

"The victim then left her seat, sought refuge in the restroom, but eventually returned because she believed the flight was full and no other seats would be available," prosecutors said.

After the teen returned to her seat, she saw that Wagner had placed a jacket over his lap and that his hand appeared to be moving up and down under the jacket.

Wagner made eye contact with the victim and lifted his jacket, revealing his exposed penis. He then masturbated for over five minutes while staring at the victim.

The victim, who was "frightened and troubled" by the incident, lodged a complaint with the airline two days later, the press release said. It was reported to police in the following weeks. Wagner was arrested in Fort Wayne, Indiana, on Oct. 4, 2020.

Wagner is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 15 and faces up to three years in prison.

Wagner will be required to register as a sex offender.

A similar incident happened in 2019 when a man from California masturbated for around 30 minutes on a commercial flight while he made eye contact with a fellow passenger.

Enrique Gonzalez, then 48, masturbated on a United Airlines flight from the Los Angeles International Airport to San Antonio International Airport in San Antonio, Texas, on Feb. 3.

He was fined $500 after a trial found him guilty of lewd, indecent or obscene conduct in the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States.