A 65-year-old Indianapolis man has been ordered to spend six years in federal prison for sexually assaulting a minor on a commercial flight from Indianapolis to Orlando. A federal judge on Monday sentenced John Daniel Fowler to a prison term, followed by 15 years of supervised release, after a jury found him guilty of abusive sexual contact earlier this year. Prosecutors say the child reported the assault to the flight crew as the plane was landing in Orlando, and law enforcement officers were waiting at the gate when the aircraft arrived.
An Indiana man is going to prison for abusive sexual contact of a minor on a flight from Indianapolis to Orlando. Sexual assault aboard an aircraft is a federal crime. The #FBI is committed to supporting victims and holding offenders accountable for their actions. #SAAPM… pic.twitter.com/HB4cfbo2XT
— FBI Tampa (@FBITampa) April 7, 2026
Federal prosecutors laid out the case
According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office, Middle District of Florida, a federal jury convicted Fowler on January 13. Prosecutors said Fowler was seated next to the minor, asked her to send him a photo, repeatedly intruded into her personal space, and, after she fell asleep, slid his hand under her blanket and touched her genitalia as the flight descended into Orlando. The child alerted the crew, who moved her away from Fowler and notified authorities. The FBI, the Federal Air Marshal Service, and the Orlando Police Department handled the investigation.
Trial testimony and prior conviction
As reported by WFTV, jurors heard testimony that Fowler asked the girl for a picture, gave her his phone number, and repeatedly touched her arm before the assault under the blanket. Prosecutors also called a woman who was the victim in a 2017 Indiana case, who testified about similar conduct. That prior conviction on charges of sexual battery and criminal confinement was used to demonstrate a pattern of behavior. U.S. District Judge Paul G. Byron ultimately imposed the six-year federal prison sentence followed by a lengthy term of supervised release.
Legal context
The U.S. Attorney's Office said the prosecution was brought under Project Safe Childhood, a Justice Department initiative that pulls together federal, state, and local resources to target child-exploitation crimes. Fowler is a registered sex offender and now faces federal penalties along with long-term supervision and registration obligations that attach to a federal conviction. The sentence and the coordinated investigation by multiple agencies highlight the Justice Department's recent focus on sexual offenses that occur during commercial flights, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
The FBI Tampa underscored in its post on X that “sexual assault aboard an aircraft is a federal crime” and urged victims or witnesses to alert flight crews or contact the FBI directly at tips.fbi.gov or by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI. The public reminder, paired with the stiff sentence in Fowler's case, is meant to send a clear message that in-flight abuse should be reported and will be aggressively pursued by federal authorities.
