Boston father convicted of molesting girl through seat gap on JetBlue flight while going on vacation with his wife and children

Jonathan Alan Lefman, 48, was convicted of sexually touching a 17-year-old passenger on a JetBlue flight from Puerto Rico to Boston. The case matters because the jury found him guilty of abusive sexual contact aboard an aircraft, an offence carrying potential prison time and long-term supervision.

Prosecutors said Lefman repeatedly reached through the gap beneath the seat in front of him and touched the girl’s buttocks without consent. She tried to move away, identified him through a reflection in the seatback screen and recorded his fingers on her phone. He was travelling with his wife and four children, including a 16-year-old son seated beside him; the son was not accused of wrongdoing. Lefman is due to be sentenced in January and faces up to two years in prison, supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.