DETROIT — An Indian man living in the U.S. on a work visa was sentenced to nine years in prison Thursday for sexually assaulting a sleeping woman during an overnight flight to Detroit.
Prabhu Ramamoorthy was in a middle seat sitting next to the victim while his wife was in an aisle seat on a Spirit Airlines flight from Las Vegas last January. The 23-year-old victim said 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. He said he hoped it would be “grave enough” to deter others from committing similar crimes.
A jury convicted Ramamoorthy in August. He will be deported to India after serving his sentence.
The victim, a model, declined an opportunity to speak in court. She watched the hearing from the first row with her boyfriend and a support dog.
At trial, she testified that she woke up during the flight and “saw his hands inside me.” She said she felt “petrified, frozen.”
“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,” U.S. Attorney Matthew Schneider said.
Ramamoorthy, 35, has lived in suburban Detroit since arriving in the U.S. on
Article source: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/man-u-s-work-visa-gets-9-years-prison-sex-n947816