A 74-year-old Massachusetts man faces serious allegations after being accused of viewing child pornography on a flight and attempting to arrange sexual activity with a minor. Jed Cohen, of Dartmouth, was charged with possession of child pornography, disseminating photographs of sexual or intimate parts of a child, and paying for sexual conduct with a child under 18, said Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden's office in a news release.
On a JetBlue flight from Nashville to Boston, a fellow passenger reportedly saw Cohen watching "disturbing" content on his phone, which included photos and videos of prepubescent children. Watching the behavior had begun before the flight took off, the person accused Cohen of spending most of the flight on his phone, as reported by MassLive.
According to the account provided by the witness, Cohen was engaging in text message conversations that involved arranging sexual acts with young girls. Once the accusatory passenger notified the flight crew, state police met the flight at Logan Airport. Cohen cooperated with the police by providing his phone's passcode, which led to the discoveries that affirmed the witness's observations. These findings included explicit imagery involving minors and messages inquiring about sexual acts with a child as young as three years old, according to WCVB.
Prosecutors claim that the investigation further revealed a message where Cohen expressed affection for an underage girl involved in a sexual act, saying, "I love her." Running counter to decency, the incident reportedly happened with several girls appearing to be toddlers to around 10 and 11 years old featured in the material on Cohen's phone. "To call these allegations disturbing is a vast understatement," Hayden said in statements obtained by both MassLive and WCVB. He continued, "Sexual exploitation of any kind inflicts lifelong scars, and the harm increases exponentially when the victims are children."
Held on $10,000 bail with the added stipulation of home confinement and GPS monitoring upon release, Cohen awaits his return to court for a probable cause hearing on August 16. The district attorney has thanked the passenger for their vigilance and the flight crew for their prompt response in addressing these grievous matters.
