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Last month, I wrote about a Boston doctor who was arrested on a Hawaiian Airlines flight for allegedly exposing himself and masturbating in front of a 14-year-old girl. He has now been indicted on one count of “lewd, indecent and obscene acts while in the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States.” If found guilty at trial this carries a penalty of up to 90 days in prison, up to one year of supervised release, and up to a $5,000 fine.
Prosecutors allege that Dr. Sudipta Mohanty, 33, started to masturbate in front of the teenage girl who was seated next to him onboard the Hawaiian Airlines flight from Honolulu Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL) to Boston Logan International Airport (BOS).
Mohanty allegedly used a blanket to cover himself up to his neck while he bounced his leg up and down. The teenager then allegedly observed the blanket on the floor while Mohanty was openly masturbating. When Monhanty went to the lavatory, she quickly moved to an open seat (luckily this was an option) and told her family what happened after arriving in Boston. Law enforcement was also called.
Acting United States Attorney, Joshua S. Levy, is quoted in a news release:
“Everyone, especially children, has the absolute right to not be exposed to lewd conduct when they are traveling. If you engage in the type of illicit behavior alleged here, you will be caught and held accountable wherever it happens.”
In-flight incidents are on the rise and the FBI investigated 90 sexual misconduct cases in 2022. This number is expected to rise in 2023.
Anthony’s Take: This seems pretty damning for Dr. Mohanty. The case needs to play out as people are innocent until proven guilty. He’ll have his day in court and hopefully justice will be served if he’s guilty.
(Image Credit: Beth Israel Lahey Health via The New York Post.)
(H/T: Paddle Your Own Kanoo.)
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3 comments
This is NOT damning. It is a sign of a weak case. Grand juries are used when the prosecutor is unsure of the case and does not want to prosecute unless they can blame a group of ordinary non-legal trained people, called the grand jury. If you were to shoot me on live TV, there would be no grand jury.
Problems with the case is that there is no physical evidence, the FBI was not notified until July of a late May flight, that the teen told a passenger that everything was ok (the teen re-sat herself to another row and asked if she could sit there — was asked if everything is ok to which the teen agreed that all was good), that the teen did not tell any FA or her grandparents who were sitting in the next row. If the teen embellished the story and was then caught in a perpetual web of lies, then such scenario would play out exactly as it has. (This is not to say it didn’t happen).
The white teen already showed animus towards the Indian-American doctor and his Indian-American or Indian girlfriend by accusing them of baby talk to each other at the beginning of the flight. The teen also suggests she is sexually active because she describes his semen in great detail. The blanket allegedly fell to the floor and the man allegedly (according to the FBI report) quickly zipped up his pants and went to the lavatory. He was not doing a prolonged naked exposure. There are no other witnesses on the crowded flight.
I do realize that some crimes are not punished with a fine or prison sentence and that some murderers are never convicted but I see this case as being sensational but weak.
(I stand corrected…..shooting me on live TV would be a state, not federal, crime)
Well known phrase….”a grand jury will indict a ham sandwich”.