WOMAN WHO SEXUALLY ABUSED TEENAGER ON FLIGHT GETS EIGHT MONTHS HOUSE ARREST

An Oregon woman who licked, groped and verbally harassed a female passenger during a flight fromLas Vegas to Portland has been sentenced to eight months of home detention.

Heidi McKinney, 27, of Banks, declined to make a statement during Monday's sentencing at thefederal courthouse in Portland, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported.

McKinney, who wrote a letter of apology to the victim, pleaded guilty in March to assault withintent to commit a felony.

In addition to home detention, McKinney was sentenced to three years on probation. She must alsopay $3,000 restitution and abstain from alcohol.

McKinney was arrested 8 May, 2016, after the Alaska Airlines flight landed at PortlandInternational Airport.

The 19-year-old victim told authorities she had been touched without consent.

Assistant US Attorney Ravi Sinha wrote in a sentencing memo last week that the abuse startedbefore the plane departed.

Mr Sinha said McKinney, who appeared to have been drinking, tried to speak with the young woman,but the victim was reluctant.

The prosecutor said it was partly because the way in which Ms McKinney had inappropriatelytouched the victim's chest, and partly because Ms McKinney's 'small talk' consisted of repeatedlyinsulting the victim's perceived economic status and bragging of her own purported wealth.

When the plane took off, things got worse, with the victim at one point putting a hat over herface to avoid McKinney. But McKinney persisted.

Mr Sinha said McKinney tried to pressure the woman into drinking alcohol she had smuggled on theplane, and subjected her to lewd taunts and physical aggression.

He said McKinney licked the victim's ear, forced her to touch her breasts and repeatedly placedher hand on the victim's crotch.

Eventually — and in spite of the victim's repeated pleas for Ms McKinney to stop —the abuse culminated with Ms McKinney climbing on top of the victim and telling the victim shewanted to (expletive), Mr Sinha wrote.

At that point, the victim asked the flight crew to be seated elsewhere.

Though Mr Sinha described McKinney's behaviour as shocking, he recommended a sentence with afocus on treatment.

McKinney admitted herself to an inpatient treatment centre in April after she was foundunconscious at a local bar, the sentencing memo states.

Message from Executive Director Laura A. Ahearn: Parents for Megan's Law and the Crime VictimsCenter provides prevention education, advocacy, counseling and other valuable support services tochild and adult victims of sexual assault and to all victims of violent crime. Please visit ourwebsite at www.parentsformeganslaw.org for news, information and resources in your community.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/woman-sexually-abused-teenager-flight-105300730.html