A man from Deering, Alaska, was sentenced to 18 months in prison for abusive sexual contact on an aircraft, according to an announcement from First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Trayton C. Ballot, age 29, was convicted by a jury on September 10, 2025, after a two-day trial in U.S. District Court in Seattle. His arrest took place on January 15, 2025, when the Alaska Airlines flight he was aboard landed at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge John H. Chun said, “This is a serious and scary crime with lasting consequences for the victim.”
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd addressed the prevalence of such incidents: “The Western District of Washington has received a significant number of reported sexual assaults on aircraft in the last several years,” he said. “This sentence should serve as a warning to others who think they can take advantage of a plane’s environment to abuse vulnerable victims. We will take these cases, and take them to trial if necessary, to get justice for victims.”
Court records indicate that the incident occurred during an overnight flight from Anchorage to Seattle. The 17-year-old victim was traveling with her mother and a friend and seated by the window; Ballot occupied the middle seat nearby. According to testimony, Ballot moved his hand onto the victim’s inner thigh multiple times while she slept and continued after she attempted to protect herself by lowering her tray table and using a stuffed animal as a barrier.
After alerting her mother via text message about what happened, the victim followed instructions to inform flight attendants who then moved her to another seat.
Speaking in court at sentencing, the victim described feeling “trapped in a small place where I could not defend myself…. It was predatory – attacking me while I was asleep.”
Prosecutors argued for a two-year sentence citing concerns unique to air travel: “Sexual assaults on airplanes are a distressingly prevalent risk of modern airline travel…. In several ways, a plane is a uniquely vulnerable environment: passengers are often seated in close proximity to strangers, with little room and few options for removing themselves from unwanted situations; passengers regularly attempt to sleep on planes while sitting next to unknown persons; and outside of a passenger’s immediate neighbors, there is limited visibility and a low likelihood of witnesses, particularly when cabin lights are dimmed.”
Judge Chun also ordered Ballot to serve ten years of supervised release after completing his prison term.
W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office said: “I commend the bravery displayed by this underage victim, and her mother, in speaking up for her safety by reporting this crime to the flight crew," adding that "Sexual misconduct aboard aircraft is a federal crime, one the FBI investigates and takes seriously. We encourage victims and witnesses to report such crimes to the flight crew; Port of Seattle Police or your local airport police; and the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324) or tips.fbi.gov.”
The case was investigated by the FBI with help from Port of Seattle Police and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Carolyn Forstein and Cindy Chang.
