Passenger on Boston-Bound Flight Accused of Snapping Pics of Woman, Masturbating

A man on a flight to Boston has been arrested for making unwanted advances towards a female passenger, and then exposing himself within the view of nearby passengers mid-air, officials say.

39-year-old Indian national Krishna Kunapuli was on an Etihad Airlines flight from Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates to Boston, Massachusetts on Monday when he left his seat and began making unreciprocated sexual advances towards another female passenger.

A crew member on the flight interceded on the female passenger's behalf after Kunapuli started touching her hair and taking photos of her without her permission. Kunapuli was asked to return to his seat, stated the U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Massachusetts.

Kunapuli then began masturbating within the view of two nearby male passengers, initially under a blanket, and later with his penis fully exposed. One of the male passengers reported Kunapuli to a flight attendant, who then alerted law enforcement.

"The charge of lewd, indecent and obscene acts while in the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States provides for a sentence of up to 90 days in prison, up to one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $5,000," said the office of the Massachusetts District Attorney. "Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case."

Kunapuli is set to appear in federal court in Boston on Tuesday.