A Texas man faces up to three years in federal prison after repeatedly groping a woman on a plane.
William R. McKelvy, 65, began molesting the woman next to him while on a Southwest flight from Tulsa to Dallas on April 25, 2023.
This included touching her breast and inner thigh four times despite the victim’s instructions to stop, according to a copy of the complaint filed in the Northern District of Texas and obtained by PEOPLE.
According to a news release from the Department of Justice, the victim testified about her ordeal during the trial, telling prosecutors that she initially believed the man had inadvertently touched her and that his actions were accidental.
Just a few minutes later, the victim made her feelings known by violently pushing McKelvy away and telling him to keep his hands to himself, she testified.
On the third occasion, she described feeling trapped as McKelvy resumed touching her, she stated in court.
When he went in for the fourth time, the victim became agitated, screaming, “Get your hand off me, or I will break your hand!”.
Prosecutors said her response drew the attention of other passengers, who alerted flight attendants to the situation. The flight attendants then moved McKelvy to the back of the plane and instructed police to meet the plane when it arrived at Love Field.
According to prosecutors, McKelvy told police that he had been vaping on the plane and that when asked about his actions with the female passenger, he had “flirted with this chick.”
During the trial, McKelvy claimed he had no recollection of the incident because he had consumed alcohol and marijuana gummies before boarding the plane.
“Sexual assault aboard an aircraft is a federal crime being investigated by the FBI,” said R. Joseph Rothrock, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Dallas. “It is because of fellow passengers and the flight crew that the defendant was detained and charged for assaulting the victim multiple times.”
The jury deliberated for 30 minutes before issuing a verdict.
McKelvy will be sentenced on September 8.
