A Texas man accused of groping two women on past flights has been arrested for allegedly touching another woman’s breasts during an American Airlines flight to Seattle.
Cherian Abraham, 55, was arrested following a federal investigation over an incident that occurred on March 18 aboard American Airlines Flight 2076, where a woman claimed he groped her breast twice, the Dallas Morning News reports.
The victim, who was not publicly identified, said the incident was “traumatizing,” the airline issuing a ban against the repeat offender.
The incident occurred about two hours into the flight out of Chicago, with Abraham allegedly putting his finger on the woman’s breast and rubbing it, according to court documents.
Abraham claimed the touch was accidental as he was reaching for his baggage, but about five minutes later, he touched her breast yet again in an alleged attempt to touch her nipple, the victim told police.
Another five minutes later, Abraham moved his hand under her arm and poked her, infuriating the victim who had enough of his repeated touching.
“Why the f—k are you touching me?” the woman erupted, according to the affidavit.
Abraham allegedly kept quiet and reached for his backpack and placed it over his lap, a move that one witness told police seemed “unusual.”
A flight attendant confirmed that the victim got up and asked to be moved because Abraham was “molesting” her.
When questioned by police, Abraham initially denied touching the victim until he was advised of the possibility of a witness, the Morning News reported.
Abraham also claimed that he had never been accused of groping a woman on a flight before, despite having two previous incidents over the last two years.
Records show that on April 24, 2024, one woman filed an online complaint with American Airlines accusing him of touching her several times, including between her legs, as she yelled at him to stop.
On Oct. 9 the previous year, another woman told Minneapolis Airport Police that Abraham touched her three times on her leg until she told him to stop.
Abraham denied touching the two other women, who said the experience left them feeling “violated.”
Abraham was arrested on Monday on one count of abusive sexual conduct. If convicted, he faces up to two years in prison.
American Airlines said they are cooperating with law enforcement’s investigation.
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