BOSTON (WHDH) - A Newton man appeared in federal court Friday afternoon and is accused of sexually assaulting a teen on a JetBlue flight in August, 2024.
Officials say Jonathan Lefman, 46, made repeated sexual contact with a 17-year-old passenger seated in front of him onboard a flight from Puerto Rico to Boston.
According to charging documents, Lefman was flying with his wife and children. He is accused of intentionally squeezing his hand in between the back and bottom of the seat in front of him where the victim was seated, and inappropriately touched her.
The victim took pictures showing Lefman’s hands in between the seat, according to officials.
The Department of Justice says that after getting off the plane, a family member of the victim reported Lefman’s actions to a JetBlue supervisor and confronted him with the victim. Lefman allegedly said he was stretching and apologized.
In a statement JetBlue said, “At JetBlue, the safety of our customers and crewmembers is our top priority. We have zero tolerance for the behavior alleged in this incident and immediately notified law enforcement in Boston. We continue to assist and cooperate fully with authorities in this case.”
Lefman was released after court and did not say a word. His attorney says he is innocent.
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