- A man was convicted of abusive sexual contact on a Southwest Airlines flight in April 2023.
- William R. McKelvy, 65, groped a female passenger multiple times during the flight to Dallas.
- The victim initially believed the first contact was accidental but later forcefully pushed him away.
A US man has been convicted of abusive sexual contact after he groped a female passenger during a Southwest Airlines flight from Tulsa to Dallas on April 25, 2023, federal prosecutors said. He is now facing up to three years in prison.
William R McKelvy, 65, was on a flight when he started molesting a woman sitting next to him, according to the US Attorney's Office, Northern District of Texas. He groped her breast and inner thigh on four different occasions. The victim initially thought the first contact was accidental as he might have been afraid of flying and grabbed her out of fear.
But when he groped her a second time, she forcefully pushed him away and told him to keep his hands off her. Despite the warning, he groped her a third time. During the trial, the victim recalled that during the fourth time, she stood up and screamed, "Get your ******* hand off me, or I will break your ******* hand!"
Soon after, other passengers intervened and yelled at McKelvy for his inappropriate behaviour. A passenger then reported this to the flight attendant, who changed his seat and moved him to the back of the plane. The crew then handed him over to the police after they landed at Love Field Airport.
He told authorities that he had vaped during the flight, and when he was asked about the woman's complaint, he simply said he "flirted with this chick".
Testifying in court, he said he didn't remember anything about what happened on the flight because he had consumed alcohol and marijuana gummies before boarding. In less than 30 minutes of deliberation, the jury found the defendant guilty.
Acting US Attorney Nancy E. Larson said that no one should be subjected to such behaviour on the plane and praised the quick action of other passengers.
FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock stated, "Sexual assault aboard an aircraft is a federal crime investigated by the FBI. It is because of fellow passengers and the flight crew that the defendant was detained and charged for assaulting the victim multiple times."
United States Chief District Judge David C. Godbey, who oversaw the trial, will sentence McKelvy on September 8.
