SEATTLE — Warning: This story depicts details of sexual assault. Please read with care.
A former airplane mechanic was sentenced to six months in prison for sexually assaulting a woman on a flight from Phoenix to Seattle last year.
The perpetrator, 53-year-old Duane Brick, pleaded guilty to abusive sexual contact aboard an aircraft for groping a 24-year-old woman multiple times on the March 20, 2023, flight.
Brick pleaded guilty on March 5, 2024, and was sentenced to six months in prison and five years of supervised release on Monday.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Brick touched the victim multiple times when she had headphones on and was trying to sleep. The victim took an anti-anxiety medication before takeoff due to a fear of flying.
When she awoke, she found Brick had grabbed her hand and placed it on his crotch. He touched her multiple times after that, on her face, head, arm and chest. He also tried twice to put his hand down her pants when she repeatedly told him "no."
The victim and another witness reported the incidents to the flight crew in an effort to get police to meet the plane when it landed. However, Brick, an employee of the airline, was able to convince the flight staff that the touching was accidental and he was allowed to leave the airport upon landing.
Brick's employment was terminated by the airline.
“This was a serious and frightening crime," said U.S. District Judge James Chun at Monday's sentencing hearing. "He was clearly a predator. He checked to see if she was responsive and when she was not, he continued the abuse.”
This is amid a rise in sexual assaults on airplanes across the country. From 2019 to 2021, there was a 25% increase in investigations of sexual misconduct on planes, according to the FBI. In 2018, there were 27 sexual misconduct investigations. In 2022, that number rose to 90 investigations, and in 2023, there were 96.
According to the FBI, most perpetrators of these cases are men and they target women, unaccompanied minors and those who take medication or drink alcohol to relax during the flight. Here are some tips from the FBI on how to stay safe:
- Always keep the seat's armrest down.
- Be wary of "accidental touches." Some offenders will test people multiple times to see how they react before an assault.
- Alert flight crews of any incidents as quickly as possible.
