According to a federal complaint filed last month, a 16-year-old girl flying alone on a United Airlines flight from Seattle to Newark, New Jersey on July 23 awoke to find another passenger groping her.
Citing the complaint, ABC News reported the victim identified the man as 28-year-old Vijakumar Krishnappa, a doctor from India, who's in the U.S. for a month-long medical fellowship.
The complaint accuses Krishnappa of "rubbing the victim through her clothing" and trying to "put his other hand inside of the victim's pants."
The girl notified a flight attendant of the man's behavior and was moved to a different seat.
"This is such a horrific and despicable act on his part," the girl's attorney, Johnny McCray told the Washington Post. "And for him to be a doctor...it's concerning."
McCray said the incident has affected the girl's ability to sleep and concentrate.
The FBI handled the investigation and used the flight manifest to present the girl with a photo lineup. Krishnappa was arrested on charges of knowingly engaging in sexual conduct with a minor and later released on $50,000 bail.
Krishnappa's attorney John Yauch told the Post that his client "adamantly denies the charges."
According to NJ.com, the girl and her family have also filed a complaint against United for its handling of the incident. McCray alleges the airline violated its own policy requiring employees to alert authorities of allegations of crimes committed in the sky.
[READMORE]READ MORE: Teenager Jumps Out of Plane As it Lands[/READMORE]
United confirmed that it's currently reviewing the incident.
"The safety and security of our customers are our top priority," United said in a statement. "We take these allegations seriously and continue to work closely with the proper authorities as part of their review."
The disturbing incident comes just over a month after an American Airlines passenger claimed flight attendants forced her to remain seated next to a man caught masturbating on a flight from New York to Paris.
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