A 27-year-old Alaska man is accused of repeatedly touching the inner thigh of a 17-year-old girl sitting next to him on a flight from Anchorage to Seattle, federal prosecutors said.
The teen alerted flight attendants after typing a message about the man on her phone and showing it to her mom. Trayton C. Ballot was arrested when the plane landed, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington said in a Feb. 6 news release.
Ballot, from Deering, has pleaded not guilty in connection with abusive sexual contact, prosecutors said.
McClatchy News reached out to his attorney Feb. 7 and was awaiting a response.
Ballot was in a middle seat near the back on the January flight, prosecutors said.
The 17-year-old was in the window seat, while a friend of hers was in the aisle seat and her mother was seated in the row behind them, according to prosecutors.
“Ballot appeared to be asleep, but then allegedly moved his hand onto the victim’s inner thigh and began rubbing her thigh. The victim removed Ballot’s hand,” prosecutors said.
Ballot then moved his hand onto her inner thigh two more times, and she removed it, prosecutors said.
“After the third time, the victim lowered her tray table and wedged a pillow under it to protect her lap. Despite those barriers, Ballot moved his hand under the armrest and attempted to place it over the victim’s thigh. The victim pressed down on the pillow to stop the assault and Ballot took his hand away,” according to prosecutors.
The 17-year-old typed a message on her phone saying her seatmate touched her and showed her mother, prosecutors said. Her mom instructed her to tell flight attendants, who switched her seat, prosecutors said.
Ballot faces up to two years in federal prison, authorities said.