Boston doctor charged with masturbating and exposing himself to 14-year-old girl on airplane

BOSTON (AP) — A Boston doctor was indicted by a federal grand jury Wednesday on charges that he masturbated and exposed himself within the view of a 14-year-old female seated next to him on a flight from Honolulu to Boston in May 2022.

Dr. Sudipta Mohanty, 33, was indicted on one count of lewd, indecent and obscene acts “while in the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States.” He was arrested and charged by criminal complaint in August and released.

Mohanty hasn’t entered a plea. A lawyer for Mohanty didn’t immediately repond to an email and phone call seeking comment.

Investigators say Mohanty was a passenger aboard a Hawaiian Airlines Flight with a female companion and was allegedly seated next to a 14-year-old travelling with her grandparents, who were sitting nearby.

About halfway through the flight, investigators said, the 14-year-old noticed that Mohanty had covered himself with a blanket up to his neck and that his leg was bouncing up and down.

A short time later the minor saw that the blanket was on the floor, no longer covering Mohanty, and that Mohanty was masturbating, according to prosecutors.

The minor moved herself to an empty seat in a different row. After arriving in Boston, she told members of her family about the incident and police were notified.

The charge of lewd, indecent and obscene acts while in the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States carries a sentence of up to 90 days in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $5,000.