December 14,2018:
An Indian Man living in the U.S. on a Work Visa has been sentenced to nine years in prison for Sexually Assaulting a sleeping woman during an overnight flight to Detroit.
Prabhu Ramamoorthy was in a middle seat between victim and his wife on a Spirit Airlines flight from Las Vegas last January.
23-year-old victim stated that he unzipped her pants, unbuttoned her shirt and molested her with his hands.
Prosecutors asked for a sentence of nearly 11 years, but U.S. District Judge Terrence Berg settled on a nine-year term.
Court stated that it hoped it would be "grave enough" to deter others from committing similar crimes.
Jury had convicted Ramamoorthy in August .He will be deported to India after serving his sentence.
At trial, the victim testified that she woke up during the flight and "saw his hands inside me." She added that she felt "petrified, frozen."
U.S. Attorney Matthew Schneider submitted that,"Everyone has the right to be secure and safe when they travel on airplanes. ... We appreciate the victim in this case for her courage to speak out".
Ramamoorthy, 35, has lived in suburban Detroit since arriving in the U.S. on a work visa in 2015. He and his wife were returning to Detroit on the Las Vegas flight after a trip to the Grand Canyon.
Source ABC News
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