SEATTLE — A former Army soldier was sentenced to one year in prison for sexually assaulting two teenagers on flights to Seattle.
According to court documents, James Benecke, a 42-year-old former chief warrant officer, touched a 16-year-old girl and an 18-year-old on flights to Seattle that were two months apart.
Benecke was indicted in July 2023 and pleaded guilty to abusive sexual contact while aboard an aircraft in April 2024.
In April 2023, Benecke touched the 16-year-old’s buttocks when she was sitting next to him on the flight.
In June 2023, on a flight from Dallas to Seattle, Benecke touched the 18-year-old’s buttocks and inner thigh, who was seated next to him. According to court documents, the victim’s boyfriend also witnessed the assault and reported the assault to crewmembers with her.
Benecke was questioned by law enforcement when the plane landed in Seattle. He was then arrested at his base, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, about one month later.
In the plea agreement, Benecke admitted both incidents were intentional “for his sexual arousal.”
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.
