A man is accused of groping a minor on a flight to Detroit Metro Airport last weekend, federal court documents said.
FBI agents filed a criminal complaint against Khoa Nguyen on Sunday, according to court records.
In it, authorities said they are seeking to charge him with sexual contact with another person without consent while in the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States.
The charge carries a penalty of up to three years in federal prison.
Nguyen made an initial appearance in federal court in Detroit on Monday and was ordered temporarily detained until a detention hearing Tuesday.
His lawyer, Henry Scharg, did not respond immediately to a message seeking comment.
According to the criminal complaint, Nguyen allegedly groped a female under 18 years old while on a July 5 Delta Airlines flight from Tokyo to Detroit.
It said the youth’s mother reported the incident to the flight crew during the trip. Crewmembers later identified the suspect as Nguyen, the court documents said.
The members told investigators the suspect attempted to assault another passenger on the flight, and they had to restrain Nguyen with a zip tie and escort him until the plane landed at Detroit Metro Airport in Romulus.
An FBI agent interviewed the victim after her flight landed in Detroit, he said in the complaint. She told him she went to the restroom and when she returned was stuck behind a flight attendant’s service cart.
The victim told the investigator she felt someone come behind her and cup his hand on her buttocks over her clothing, according to court documents. She said she tried to move forward, but the man would press up against her every step she took and crowded her against the service cart.
The court document also said the victim reported another passenger on the plane told her the suspect had been following her throughout the aircraft.
Furthermore, the agent said in the complaint that he obtained a witness’ written statement describing the same incident. The statement also said the suspect had “been acting odd for the entire flight, includingdropping items, roaming around, asking weird questions of the attendants, and appearing impaired.”
In a statement, a Delta representative said the airline “has zero tolerance for unlawful and unruly behavior and will always work with law enforcement authorities to that end.” Delta added that Nguyen has been placed on an “internal no-fly” list.
The incident is the most recent in Metro Detroit involving groping another person.
In April, Ann Arbor police said they were investigating two groping incidents that happened in the city’s downtown area. Both incidents happened on April 17. One happened at 11:20 p.m. and the other at 11:45 p.m., according to authorities. The suspect approached the two victims from behind and groped them before running away, officials said.
In May, a Detroit man accused of groping a 15-year-old girl at a Macomb County park was charged with fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct. His next court date is scheduled for Aug. 4.
In June 2024, a former Macomb County teacher pleaded no contest to sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl in the previous year. Federal investigators also alleged he groped the girl while teaching her how to fly a small airplane.
cramirez@detroitnews.com
@CharlesERamirez
Staff writers Robert Snell and Owen McCarthy contributed
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