Man guilty of sexually assaulting a sleeping woman on flight could face life in prison

A Detroit man has been convicted of sexually assaulting a sleeping Spirit Airlines passenger while his wife was sitting next to him.

A man found guilty of sexually assaulting a sleeping female passenger on a Spirit Airlines flight faces up to life in prison when he is sentenced in December.

Prabhu Ramamoorthy, 35, was convicted of assaulting the woman on an overnight flight from Las Vegas to Detroit on January 3.

According to the federal complaint, the 22-year-old woman woke up “to a hand in her pants and noticed that her pants and shirt were unbuttoned.”

The woman reported that Ramamoorthy was shoving his “fingers in her (genitals) and vigorously moving them.”

Mr Ramamoorthy argued he was unaware of his actions because he had been in “deep sleep” after taking a pill.

The man was arrested and taken into custody when the flight landed in Detroit.

A jury deliberated for under four hours following a five-day trial before finding Ramamoorthy guilty.

Attorney, Matthew Schneider, said Mr Ramamoorthy might face life in prison when sentenced on December 12.

“The safety and security of all aircraft passengers is a priority for the FBI, our local and federal law enforcement partners, and airline carrier personnel,” Timothy R. Slater, a FBI special agent said in a statement.