A routine flight from Anchorage to Seattle turned into a criminal case that ended in federal court Thursday, when a Deering, Alaska man was sentenced for molesting a 17-year-old girl midair on Jan. 15, 2025. Trayton C. Ballot, 29, received an 18-month prison term and 10 years of supervised release after his sentence. Prosecutors said the teen, who was traveling with her mother and a friend, pushed his hand away during the incident and later alerted her mother by text. The case is one of several recent in-flight sexual-misconduct prosecutions brought by federal authorities in Seattle.
Sentence and reaction
Ballot was sentenced to 18 months in prison, credited with time already served, and ordered to serve a decade of supervised release, according to KING 5. FBI Seattle Special Agent in Charge W. Mike Herrington praised the victim and her mother for reporting what happened and emphasized that sexual misconduct aboard aircraft is a federal crime, the outlet reported.
What prosecutors say
According to court records cited by PEOPLE, prosecutors said Ballot moved his hand onto the girl's inner thigh three separate times during the flight. The teen pushed his hand away, then dropped the tray table and wedged a pillow across her lap to block him. She typed a message to her mother about what was happening, and her mother instructed her to alert flight attendants. Officers arrested Ballot when the plane landed at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on Jan. 15, 2025, according to a U.S. Attorney's news notice summarized by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Federal law and local trend
Abusive sexual contact aboard an aircraft is a federal offense that can carry a sentence of up to two years in prison, prosecutors note in charging documents and public statements. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Washington has said the district has seen a noticeable rise in reported in-flight sexual misconduct and has brought several similar cases in recent years, according to a Justice Department press release.
Reporting and support
Authorities say victims and witnesses should report in-flight misconduct to flight crew, Port of Seattle police, local law enforcement or the FBI, which officials confirmed is investigating this case. Prosecutors and agents commended the teenager for reporting the contact and said the sentence highlights that federal authorities are treating unwanted sexual contact on aircraft as a serious crime, according to local reporting and government statements.
