A Texas resident has been charged at the federal level for abusive sexual contact after allegations involving a fellow passenger during a flight from Chicago to Seattle. Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller announced the charges against Cherian Abraham, aged 54, from Allen, Texas. Both Abraham and the alleged victim were interviewed once the plane reached Seattle on March 18, 2025. He was subsequently arrested on March 23, 2025, and appeared in U.S. District Court in Seattle on March 24, 2025.
The criminal complaint notes that Abraham was seated next to a 22-year-old victim. The victim reported that Abraham attempted to touch her inappropriately on three separate occasions during the flight. She first attributed the contact to an accident, but upon a repeated instance, she confronted Abraham, who momentarily retracted his hand. On the third occasion, the victim verbally confronted him and sought assistance from a flight attendant, which resulted in her being moved to another seat.
When questioned at SEA airport, Abraham denied any inappropriate behavior. The FBI investigation uncovered two prior allegations against Abraham. On April 24, 2024, a victim reported inappropriate touching to the airline, and on October 9, 2023, Minneapolis Airport Police interviewed him after a similar incident. Despite these allegations, earlier victims either could not contact flight attendants or chose not to pursue charges. In both cases, Abraham denied the allegations.
Abraham has been released on bond and is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on April 7, 2025. If convicted, the crime of abusive sexual contact carries a potential sentence of up to two years in prison. The charges in the complaint are not conclusive, and Abraham remains presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
The case is under FBI investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ajay Ravindran.
