A Newton man was convicted on Friday of making repeated sexual contact with a 17-year-old female passenger sitting in front of him on a flight from Puerto Rico to Boston.
Authorities said 48-year-old Jonathan Alan Lefman was convicted following a three-day trial on one count of abusive sexual contact while in the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States.
According to court documents, Lefman was a passenger on a JetBlue flight on Aug. 30, 2024 with his wife and four children.
Officials said that multiple times during the flight and while on the ground waiting to deplane in Boston, he put his hands in the area between the back and the bottom of the seat in front of him, where the minor victim was seated, and touched the minor victim’s buttocks without her permission.
Authorities said that at least one time, the victim saw Lefman’s reflection leaning between the seats on the monitor in front of her.
During the final time, the victim was able to use her cellphone camera to take a video of Lefman’s fingers coming out of the seat.
While exiting the plane, the victim took a video of Lefman as he was getting off the aircraft.
After deplaning, a member of the victim’s family, who had traveled in a different row, reported Lefman’s conduct to a JetBlue supervisor. They then confronted Lefman, showing the video of his fingers to support her statement.
Lefman is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 12, 2027.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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