A 78-year-old New South Wales man has been convicted and fined $1000 after pleading guilty to committing an act of indecency on a domestic flight.
The man appeared before Southport Magistrates Court on 10 February, 2025 following an AFP investigation into an incident on a Sydney-to-Gold Coast flight on 8 December, 2024.
AFP Detective Acting Superintendent Mark Yarrow condemned the behaviour, stressing the distress such incidents can cause, particularly in confined spaces like an aircraft.
“Members of the public do not deserve to be subjected to unwanted attention under any circumstance, including on a plane,” Det a/Supt Yarrow said.
A female passenger reported the incident to the AFP after landing at Gold Coast Airport, alleging the man seated beside her had touched her leg multiple times without consent.
Following a review of CCTV footage, the man was identified, and on 13 December, 2024, the AFP issued him a notice to appear before court for one count of committing an act of indecency without consent, contrary to section 60 of the Crimes Act (Cth).
After pleading guilty, he was fined $1000, and a conviction was recorded.
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