A Florida man, working as a co-pilot for Delta Airlines, has been charged with multiple counts of child sexual abuse in an unsettling case that unfurled at San Francisco International Airport. According to the Contra Costa District Attorney's Office, Rustom Bhagwagar, 34, faces a 24-count felony complaint, including charges such as engaging in a sexual act with a child 10 years old or younger, and forcible lewd acts upon a child. His arrest last Saturday was part of a wider investigation that also implicated 45-year-old Jennifer Powell, with both cases suggesting sentences of up to 15 years to life in prison.
Bhagwagar was taken into custody shortly after his flight landed from Minneapolis. Passengers describe the arrest as having been a disruption, recounting to Hoodline, "A group of people with badges, guns, and different agency vests/markings were pushing their way up through the aisle to the cockpit." The remaining pilot, reportedly unaware of the unfolding situation, told passengers he had "no idea what just happened," which reflects the isolated nature of Bhagwagar’s alleged misconduct from his professional capacity as a co-pilot.
In a statement, District Attorney Diana Becton iterated the Office's commitment "to protecting children and holding those who cause harm accountable." As for the arrestee's former employer, Delta Air Lines maintained a distance from the incident, pointing to law enforcement as the focal point for inquiries.
