Man from India gets nine years in prison for sex assault on flight from Las Vegas to Detroit
- Man was sitting between wife and victim, who accused him of unzipping her trousers, unbuttoning her shirt and molesting her while she slept
An Indian man living in the US on a work visa was sentenced to nine years in prison on Thursday for sexually assaulting a sleeping woman during an overnight flight to Detroit.
Prabhu Ramamoorthy was in a middle seat between the victim and his wife on a Spirit Airlines flight from Las Vegas last January. The 23-year-old victim said he unzipped her trousers, unbuttoned her shirt and molested her with his hands.
Prosecutors asked for a sentence of nearly 11 years, but US District Judge Terrence Berg settled on a nine-year term. He said he hoped it would be “grave enough” to deter others from committing similar crimes.
His life is effectively over
A jury convicted Ramamoorthy in August. He will be deported to India after serving his sentence.
The victim, a model, declined an opportunity to speak in court. She watched the hearing from the first row with her boyfriend and a support dog