In-Flight "Sex" = 20 Years in Jail?

[Aurora Black]

Mid-flight sexual play lands US couple afoul of anti-terrorism law
Nov 14 6:53 PM US/Eastern

A couple's ill-concealed sexual play aboard a Southwest Airlines flight from Los Angeles got them charged with violating the Patriot Act, intended for terrorist acts, and could land them in jail for 20 years.

According to their indictment, Carl Persing and Dawn Sewell were allegedly snuggling and kissing inappropriately, "making other passengers uncomfortable," when a flight attendant asked them to stop.

"Persing was observed nuzzling or kissing Sewell on the neck, and ... with his face pressed against Sewell's vaginal area. During these actions, Sewell was observed smiling," reads the indictment filed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

On a second warning from the flight attendant, Persing snapped back threatening the flight attendant with "serious consequences" if he did not leave them alone.

The comment was enough to have the couple, both in their early 40s, arrested when the plane reached its destination in Raleigh, North Carolina, and charged with obstructing a flight attendant and with criminal association.

They have been placed under legal surveillance until their trial on February 5. If found guilty, they both could be sent to jail for up to 20 years.

Persing's lawyer William Peregoy said his client was not feeling well when he placed his head on his companion's lap, and that he only threatened the flight attendant with reporting him to his superiors on landing.

http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/11/14/061114235323.5hvb8xln.html

 

[AppleBiter]

Okay, there is NOTHING terrorist-like about getting too randy on a plane. But, that having been said, the guy was an idiot for telling the stewardess there'd be "serious consequences" if he wasn't expecting to be arrested after the flight. Same reason you can't say "bomb" on a plane.

ETA: 20 years does sound a bit excessive, though.

 

[Guest]

Sounds like the 20 years wasn't the sex, but the threatening of the flight crew.

20 years? No but something. The flight crews need some authority and must be respected for all of our safety.

 

[Aurora Black]

Okay, there is NOTHING terrorist-like about getting too randy on a plane. But, that having been said, the guy was an idiot for telling the stewardess there'd be "serious consequences" if he wasn't expecting to be arrested after the flight. Same reason you can't say "bomb" on a plane.

That was pretty dumb, yes.

 

[Aurora Black]

Sounds like the 20 years wasn't the sex, but the threatening of the flight crew.

20 years? No but something. The flight crews need some authority and must be respected for all of our safety.

20 is overkill.

 

[AppleBiter]

20 is overkill.

Agreed. Dude didn't even have a weapon.

 

[Zeb_Carter]

Agreed. Dude didn't even have a weapon.

Sure he did, he just kept it in his pants.

 

[Aurora Black]

Sure he did, he just kept it in his pants.

*gigglesnort*

 

[AppleBiter]

*gigglesnort*

I second that *gigglesnort*

 

[Jenny_Jackson]

The flight attendant was jealous

 

[Zeb_Carter]

The flight attendant was jealous

Yeah, he wanted to put his face in the guys crotch!

 

[Liar]

http://www.sextutor.com/plane/

 

[Remec]

Sounds like the 20 years wasn't the sex, but the threatening of the flight crew.

20 years? No but something. The flight crews need some authority and must be respected for all of our safety.

Not when the steward(ess) is being a dipshit. There's doing a job and there's being a pain.

 

[Zeb_Carter]

*snort* LMAO!

 

[Jenny_Jackson]

Yeah, he wanted to put his face in the guys crotch!

I read the article again and it's impossible to tell if the "flight attendant" was a Steward or Stewardess. Either way it's a pretty a dumb ass situation. I thought air plane sex was protected by International Porn Law

 

[Kev H]

I thought air plane sex was protected by International Porn Law

You are a gem, Jenny.

But seriously, do you guys think this is a little abuse of power? Is this some simple, isolated incident of a dumbass comment to a dumbass steward(ess), who told a dumbass pilot, who sic'd the dumbass authorities? Or is this a harbinger of things to come in any way?

 

[TheeGoatPig]

You are a gem, Jenny.

But seriously, do you guys think this is a little abuse of power? Is this some simple, isolated incident of a dumbass comment to a dumbass steward(ess), who told a dumbass pilot, who sic'd the dumbass authorities? Or is this a harbinger of things to come in any way?

that's to be determined by the court case to follow.

I think it depends on the exact wording of the threat issued, and if the steward was being truthful about it or not.

20 Years is only the maximum sentence. I'm sure the minimum is a fine. These people will probably just get the minimum if they are found guilty of whatever they actually did wrong.

 

[S-Des]

You are a gem, Jenny.

But seriously, do you guys think this is a little abuse of power? Is this some simple, isolated incident of a dumbass comment to a dumbass steward(ess), who told a dumbass pilot, who sic'd the dumbass authorities? Or is this a harbinger of things to come in any way?

No...I think the guy deserves it. First, lets stop with the 20 years nonsense. The maximum penalty is 20 years. That means the judge can give it to him if he/she feels the guy is a danger to society (which he won't). What would he really get? Probably probation and a fine.

Has anyone bothered to consider that him having him making out innapropriately and putting his face in his girlfriend's lap (we don't know exactly how sexual it really was) was in a very public place? I just got through with 4 plane flights and there were lots of children on all of them. Anyone starting to have a problem now? How would you feel if you were on a plane flight with a couple of small children, unable to move anywhere, and the guy across from you is performing oral sex (or at least pantomiming it) on his girlfriend? I'd be pretty pissed off.

 

[Guest]

His lawyer says he was sick

http://www.cnn.com/2006/LAW/11/15/sex.plane.ap/index.html


RALEIGH, North Carolina (AP) -- A man arrested for allegedly engaging in "overt sexual activity" with his girlfriend on an airliner was lying with his head on her lap because he wasn't feeling well, his attorney said.

That gesture was misinterpreted by a flight attendant, who humiliated and harassed the couple, said attorney Deb Newton, who represents Carl Persing.

Persing and Dawn Sewell, both of Lakewood, California, face federal charges of interfering with flight crew members, allegedly by disobeying a flight attendant's request that they stop their public displays of affection.

They were arrested on September 15 when they arrived at Raleigh-Durham International Airport on a Southwest Airlines flight from Los Angeles.

"The one witness I've talked to and the defendant dispute almost everything in the government's affidavit as to what happened on that airplane," Newton said.

She said Persing suffers from a chronic disease requiring medication that makes him drowsy, dizzy and irritable. She would not identify the disease to protect her client's privacy.

Newton said she will ask that the charges be dismissed.

Sewell's lawyer did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

 

[angelicminx]

No...I think the guy deserves it. First, lets stop with the 20 years nonsense. The maximum penalty is 20 years. That means the judge can give it to him if he/she feels the guy is a danger to society (which he won't). What would he really get? Probably probation and a fine.

Has anyone bothered to consider that him having him making out innapropriately and putting his face in his girlfriend's lap (we don't know exactly how sexual it really was) was in a very public place? I just got through with 4 plane flights and there were lots of children on all of them. Anyone starting to have a problem now? How would you feel if you were on a plane flight with a couple of small children, unable to move anywhere, and the guy across from you is performing oral sex (or at least pantomiming it) on his girlfriend? I'd be pretty pissed off.

Inappropriately? By whose definition?

He was asked to stop, and I agree he should have because he was asked to, but arrest? It will be on his record for life, no matter what the outcome is. Another thing... they can both be required to register as sex offenders. Hmm...

 

[Zeb_Carter]

I read the article again and it's impossible to tell if the "flight attendant" was a Steward or Stewardess. Either way it's a pretty a dumb ass situation. I thought air plane sex was protected by International Porn Law

I believe the "Flight Attendent" was male...

On a second warning from the flight attendant, Persing snapped back threatening the flight attendant with "serious consequences" if he did not leave them alone.

 

[kiten69]

Inappropriately? By whose definition?

By a parents definition...it's not hard to sneak into a bathroom on a plane...your seat is not an appropriate place to stick your face in your girlfriends lap...i don't know about any other parents but that is not something that i would want to try to explain to my kids

 

[angelicminx]

By a parents definition...it's not hard to sneak into a bathroom on a plane...your seat is not an appropriate place to stick your face in your girlfriends lap...i don't know about any other parents but that is not something that i would want to try to explain to my kids

Just playing devil's advocate, kiten.

The only point was what someone else finds inappropriate, I might not and vice versa.

 

[kiten69]

Just playing devil's advocate, kiten.

The only point was what someone else finds inappropriate, I might not and vice versa.

...just giving my opinion

 

[Kev H]

Inappropriate, definately. Fineable, definately. But if they get more a day or two jail time, it's far out of bounds, in my opinion (much like the mentality behind the old "drunk tank").

BTW, I think a reasonable definition of inappropriate that we can all agree on in this situation would be anything that the other occupants find disturbing or objectionable beyond the point that can be ignored by passengers of all ages or airline employees. Everyone is trapped in that metal can, hurling precariously though the atmosphere, so the "get along, play nice" policy should rule above all others (even the international porn laws. )