West Chester Man Sentenced For Sexual Abusing Minor On Airline Flight
Monday, November 4, 2024, 12:30 P.M. ET. 2 Minute Read, By Art Fletcher: Englebrook Independent News,
PHILADELPHIA, PA.- On Friday, November 1, 2024, Edward Decker, 46, of West Chester, Pennsylvania, appeared in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nitza I. Quinones Alejandro to 6 months in federal prison, to be followed by one year of supervised release, and $4,000 in restitution for his previously entered guilty plea.
According to U.S. Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero, in May 2024, Decker appeared in U.S. District Court in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and pleaded guilty to one count of Abusive Sexual Contact on an Aircraft.
According To Documents Filed With The Court
According to documents filed with the court, on July 29, 2022, while aboard an American Airlines flight from San Diego, California, to Philadelphia, Decker knowingly and intentionally touched the thigh and breast of a minor while she was sleeping. The girl woke up from her sleep on the overnight cross-country flight to find Decker, who was seated in the same row, with his hands and face under her clothes and on her body.
   “Edward Decker’s actions on that plane are profoundly disturbing,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “There’s no excuse for touching anyone in a sexual manner without their consent, let alone a sleeping underage stranger. The victim, in this case, has shown remarkable courage throughout this entire process. My office and the FBI will continue to seek justice for victims of crimes within our jurisdiction, whether committed on the street or a flight thousands of feet above.”
“Every person has an expectation of and, indeed, the right to fly on a U.S. aircraft without being abusively sexually contacted,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia. “Our office and the U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to ensure both that victims of such crimes are supported and those who commit such crimes are held accountable. We also thank our partners at the Philadelphia International Airport for their assistance in this case.”
