NJ Man Gets Prison for Sex Assault on Flight to Philadelphia

A North Jersey man is headed to prison for sexually assaulting a woman seated next to him on a flight into Philadelphia.

On Monday, 41-year-old Vernon Baker of Linden was sentenced to 25 months behind bars and one year of supervised release.

Linden was charged in January of last year with one count of abusive sexual contact on an aircraft and pleaded guilty in December.

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Victim Reported Incident Mid-flight

According to federal authorities, on October 30th, 2024, aboard a commercial flight from Los Angeles to Philadelphia, Baker made sexual advances toward the female passenger sitting next to him.

After the victim refused his advances, Baker took out his penis and forcibly tried to get the victim to touch him. He then grabbed her breast over her clothing and untied her pants. Traumatized and shaken, the victim rushed to the back of the cabin where she reported this assault to flight attendants.

Investigated by FBI, Philadelphia Police

This case was investigated by the FBI, the Federal Air Marshal Service, and the Philadelphia Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Josh Davison and Special Assistant United States Attorney Meagan Gordon.

Chris Coleman is a South Jersey native and has been a cornerstone of the Atlantic City radio market since 1998. He serves as Brand Manager for WPG Talk Radio 95.5 and afternoon on-air personality for Cat Country 107.3. A five-time President's Circle award winner and Townsquare Media's 2024 Content Creator of the Year, Chris covers news, events, and stories of interest across Southern New Jersey. Story tips: chris.coleman@townsquaremedia.com