WA man pleads guilty to groping woman on flight to Seattle

SEATTLE - A Federal Way man has pleaded guilty to groping a woman on a flight from San Diego to Seattle in mid-July 2023.

According to the U.S. District Court in Seattle, 25-year-old Desmond Bostick pleaded guilty to assault with intent to commit a felony.

The charges stem from an Alaska Airlines flight Bostick had taken from San Diego to Seattle on June 20, 2023. Bostick was seated in the back row of the plane beside two other people. According to court records, Bostick groped the thigh and backside of the woman sitting next to him, touching her when she stood to allow the window-seat passenger to leave the row.

The victim reported the assault to the flight crew, which led straight to a law enforcement investigation. By that point, however, Bostick had left the airport and his location was unknown. He was quickly identified as the suspect, and was indicted by a federal grand jury on Sept. 27, 2023.

The FBI was only able to find and arrest Bostick on Feb. 9, 2024.

Bostick admitted in his plea agreement that he touched the victim to "arouse his sexual desire." He faces up to 10 years in prison when sentenced on July 18, 2024, although the plea agreement recommends just a nine-month prison sentence.

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The U.S. Attorney's Office released a report in June 2023 about an alarming increase in sexual misconduct on aircraft, including four federal criminal cases filed in 2024 so far.