Jack Allen Roberson, 69, of Andrews, Cherokee County, North Carolina, United States was seated next to a girl, 15, on board a Delta Air Lines aircraft on July 16, 2023 from Atlanta, Fulton County, Georgia, USA to Sea-Tac, King County, Washington, USA. She was traveling with her aunt, who is her guardian.
Shortly after the plane took off, Roberson dropped his headphones and the teenager picked them up. He allegedly told her, “Thank you. I don’t know what I would do without you.”
While Roberson appeared to be sleeping during the flight, he allegedly slipped his hand onto the teenager’s thigh and ran in up under her skirt and towards her genitals. She reported the unwanted touching to her aunt who switched seats with her.
After the aunt contacted the flight crew, Roberson was moved to a different seat. He was arrested as soon as the plane arrived at the Seattle–Tacoma International Airport in SeaTac and he told federal investigators that he had eight alcoholic beverages before boarding the flight and drank two double vodka tonics on the flight.
Roberson was taken to the Federal Detention Center, SeaTac in SeaTac. He will remain in federal custody pending a detention hearing on July 19, 2023.
A federal public defender was appointed to represent Roberson. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating the case, which is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sanaa Nagi.
CONAN Daily 