Vijaykumar Krishnappa, 29, got the maximum Friday after pleading guilty in early November to assault in the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States in exchange for a sentence of 30 to 90 days.
Krishnappa didn’t know the girl, 16, who was seated next to him on the United Airlines flight from Seattle to Newark this past July 23, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito said.
He admitted that while the victim was asleep, he “intentionally touched her near her groin over her leggings without her consent,” the U.S. Attorney said.
Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI and officers from the Port Authority of New York-New Jersey with the investigation leading to the plea deal and sentence, secured by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tazneen Shahabuddin of his Criminal Division in Newark.