- A French man was charged with sexual assault on a Zurich-Miami flight on April 28
- The incident occurred in first-class where the victim was asleep next to the accused
- Witnesses saw the man touching the woman without consent and alerted flight staff
A 48-year-old French national has been accused of sexually assaulting a fellow passenger aboard a flight from Zurich to Miami, according to a federal criminal complaint. Guillaume Sebastien Roger Mattler has been charged with abusive sexual contact over the alleged incident on Swiss International Air Lines Flight LX64 on April 28, People reported.
The complaint, filed in the Southern District of Florida, states that Mattler and the 29-year-old woman, who did not know each other, were seated next to each other in the first-class cabin. According to investigators, the woman fell asleep during the flight when two nearby passengers noticed Mattler allegedly touching her without consent. One witness recorded videos of the incident and alerted a flight attendant.
"Witness 2 observed Mattler moving his hand in a ‘submarine' motion, as if trying to get his hand under the victim's clothing and/or between her legs," an FBI Special Agent wrote in the complaint.
When the crew member intervened, they allegedly saw Mattler with his hand on the woman's crotch over her clothing, making a rubbing motion. He was immediately separated from the victim and moved to another section of the aircraft.
Authorities said that when the woman was informed of the incident after being woken up, she appeared shocked and began shaking and crying.
The complaint further alleges that Mattler later attempted to hand the woman a note reading, "You look beautiful when you are sleeping." He was unable to confirm to crew members whether he knew her.
Following the flight, Mattler initially denied the allegations during questioning but later admitted to touching the woman after being confronted with eyewitness accounts and video evidence. He reportedly told authorities he "did not think it was such a big deal" and claimed his intention had been to exchange contact details. Mattler also stated that "he touched whatever he could reach from across the armrest," per the complaint.
"Mattler advised his initial intention was to get the woman's phone number and give her his. He then provided the note from his pocket that was written on his business card that read, "You look cute when you sleep," along with the flight information and his seat number," an FBI agent wrote.
As of May 3, Mattler remains in custody at the Federal Detention Center in Miami, according to prison records.
