71-Year-Old Man Charged with 'Inappropriately' Touching Sleeping Woman on Flight from Los Angeles By Becca Longmire

A 71-year-old man in Australia has been charged after allegedly touching a woman “inappropriately” as she tried to sleep on a long-haul flight from Los Angeles to Melbourne, authorities have said.

On Wednesday, Sept. 24, the man’s case went to Broadmeadows Magistrates’ Court in Victoria after the incident allegedly occurred two days prior, the Australian Federal Police (AFP) said in a media release.

“The woman reported to airline crew during the flight that a man had allegedly touched her inappropriately and reached inside her clothes while she tried to sleep during a flight on 22 September, 2025,” the release stated.

Police continued, “Crew members moved the woman to a different seat for the remainder of the flight and alerted the AFP, who met the flight when it landed and interviewed the man, 71, and witnesses.”

According to multiple Australian outlets, including The Sydney Morning Herald and news.com.au, the man has been identified as Mounir Botros.

He appeared remotely in court on Wednesday via video link and was not required to speak during the proceedings, The Sydney Morning Herald reported.

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Police said in their release, “The AFP arrested the man and charged him with one count of act of indecency without consent, contrary to section 60 of the Crimes Act 1900 (ACT).”

“The maximum penalty for this [offense] is seven years’ imprisonment,” the release noted.

Botros’ lawyer, Sarah Condon, had previously attempted to suppress media reporting of her client, stating that the police release and applications by the media to access court documents had had a “catastrophic [psychological] impact” on him, The Sydney Herald reported. However, Condon later told the court she would “no longer persist” with the application.

AFP Detective Superintendent Stephen Cook insisted police take any allegation of inappropriate or criminal behavior on land or in the air extremely seriously.

“Every [traveler] on an aircraft should be able to feel safe from harm and should be confident that the AFP always takes action when we receive reports of alleged crime,” Cook said, per the police release.

“As passenger numbers rise for the busy school holiday period, I’d also like to remind passengers that being in the air does not alleviate the consequences of alleged illegal [behavior],” the officer added.

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The case has been adjourned until Nov. 20 to allow the prosecution more time to compile the brief of evidence, per The Sydney Morning Herald.

Botros’ bail has also been extended ahead of his next court date, according to news.com.au.

The AFP, Botros’ lawyer, Sarah Condon, and Broadmeadows Magistrates’ Court did not immediately respond when contacted by PEOPLE for additional information.

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.