Masturbating Four Times In Front Of A Woman During A Flight, This Man Is Banned From Flying For Life

Southwest Airlines fleet illustration. (Wikimedia Commons/John Crowley)

JAKARTA - A man has been banned from flying for life, after being accused of masturbating more than once in front of women while on a flight.

A man who flew from Seattle, Washington to Phoenix, Arizona earlier this week was accused of masturbating four times in front of a female passenger, according to a criminal complaint filed in federal court obtained by the Daily Beast.

According to a statement by the FBI special agent, Antonio Sherrodd McGarity began his lewd behavior shortly after the Southwest Airlines flight he was on left Seattle.

"Shortly after takeoff, while the plane was in the air, McGarity exposed his genitals by pulling his pants and shorts down, initiating masturbation", the statement said, launched by Sputnik News on April 6th.

A woman sitting next to him quickly noticed, and according to officers, McGarity "asked the female witness if she would mind if he masturbated."

When she put her hands in the air and said "it really doesn't matter", McGarity reportedly skipped the sarcasm and thought she was fine with him doing his job.

"McGarity said he thought it was a bit kinky", the clerk said.

According to the woman's account, after masturbating about four times, McGarity fell asleep and she asked the staff if she could change to another seat on the plane, which she then did.

When the plane landed at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, McGarity was arrested by Phoenix Police.

Meanwhile, a Southwest Airlines official told the New York Post they "immediately placed the passenger on the No-Fly List, resulting in a lifetime ban on flying on Southwest Airlines.

A similar incident occurred on another Southwest flight in 2020, although the incident was reportedly not witnessed by passengers.

The United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has noted a marked increase in noisy behavior by airline passengers in recent years, driven in part by new regulations on wearing masks caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

In January 2021, the FAA adopted a 'zero tolerance' policy against misbehaving passengers, dropping a warning system in favor of immediate enforcement action.

Despite the increased penalties, the FAA recorded 5,981 reports of naughty passengers last year, 4,290 of which were mask-related incidents. Wearing a mask is mandatory on all mass transit in the United States, including buses, trains, trams, and airplanes, per executive order.