Man accused of mid-flight groping

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ATLANTA, Oct. 20 (UPI) -- A 61-year-old man has been accused of groping a 20-year-old woman on a Delta Air Lines flight from Dallas to Atlanta, authorities said Wednesday.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported Ranchhodbhai Lakha faces charges of assault and abusive sexual contact for the alleged Sept. 28 incident.

The U.S. Attorney's Office said the woman, seated in the same row as Lakha, alleges she had fallen asleep and awoke to find the man touching her below the waist. The woman said she removed his hand only to have him touch her again. U.S. Attorney Sally Quillian Yates said the woman then got up and reported the incident to a flight attendant, the newspaper said.

"Sexual assault is a crime wherever it happens, including airplanes," Yates said in a statement. "Many passengers let their guard down or even fall asleep in the closed, often crowded environment of an airplane, which makes this kind of sexual assault so deplorable."

The federal prosecutor said the FBI was investigating whether Lakha could be linked to other incidents in Alabama.

Lakha is to appear in court Monday.