Florida Man Accused of Fondling Himself on Newark, NJ, Flight

NEWARK — An elderly Florida man is accused of masturbating next to a younger female passenger on a flight that departed from Newark Liberty International Airport.

76-year-old Donald Edward Robinson was arrested Sunday morning at Boston Logan International Airport. The Bonita Springs resident faces one count of lewd, indecent, and obscene acts while in the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States.

A 21-year-old woman was sitting next to Robinson on United Airlines flight 1663 on Friday. Partway through the midday trip, she caught the man on a 24-second video fondling himself through his pants, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office of Massachusetts.

Prosecutors said it was not long before the man fully exposed his genitals in full view of his seatmate.

Get our free mobile app

Robinson was also accused of putting his hand on the victim's thigh just minutes before landing. He stopped when the woman questioned what he was doing, officials said.

The victim then discretely got the attention of another passenger. She used her phone to write out a message, “Hi, this man assaulted me and touched my leg and is masturbating.”

However, the victim could not alert a flight attendant until passengers started getting off the plane. Robinson got away in the confusion, according to federal authorities.

Investigators later used surveillance footage to track Robinson heading to baggage claim.

The charge against Robinson carries a maximum sentence of 90 days in prison plus a $5,000 fine if convicted.