Pilot faces five years in prison after being convicted of groping young teen girl on flight while off-duty

  • The young girl awoke after an in-flight nap to find Michael Pascal's hand grabbing her buttocks
  • He then apologized and ran off to the bathroom

By Ryan Gorman and Associated Press Reporter

PUBLISHED: 22:22 EST, 29 March 2014 | UPDATED: 08:08 EST, 30 March 2014

Perverted pilot: Michael Pascal was found guilty of groping a young teen girl

Perverted pilot: Michael Pascal was found guilty of groping a young teen girl

An airline pilot found guilty this week of groping a 14-year-old girl while he was a passenger on a flight from Detroit to Salt Lake City last year faces five years behind bars.

Michael Pascal, who has homes in Park City, Utah, and Texas, was found guilty Thursday by a jury after a three-day trial in Salt Lake City, He was convicted of grabbing the teen's buttocks and dashing off to the bathroom.

The girl told investigators that she woke up from a nap on an Oct. 26 Delta Airlines flight and found Pascal's hand under her, gripping her buttocks.

She was sitting next to a window, and Pascal, 45, was in the middle seat.

The perverted pilot, who worked at the time for a regional airline carrier that contracts with Delta, told investigators he fell asleep with his hands in his lap and doesn't know how one ended up underneath the girl.

Pascal's attorney said his client was shocked over charges, and that he has a teenage daughter of his own. The lawyer insisted any touching that occurred was inadvertent.

The startled young girl told authorities she elbowed Pascal after waking up with his hand underneath her and asked, 'What the hell are you doing?'

She says he pulled his hand out from under her and said, 'I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I was asleep, I have to use the bathroom.'

The armrest that she had pushed down was in the upright position, she recalled.

Pascal said he pulled up the armrest between him and the girl because the man on the other side of him was taking up a lot of room, according to documents.

Neither police nor the jury bought it. They took only a few hours to find him guilty.

The girl, who was flying alone, told flight attendants what happened and was so shaken she changed seats. She maintained Pascal was 'clearly awake' and put some of his body on her.

He's scheduled to be sentenced July 29 and could face up to five years in prison.

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Or if your a woman school teacher you get off with no jail time.

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Excellent. It should have been more, but this is a good start. Five years in prison is a long time.

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Five years is not too long. Young assault victims are affected their whole lives.

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Looks like a mouth breather. Take oh pilots license too. We don't want him.

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But when the TSA does it it's fine...

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5 years for a grope , sounds a lot to me, so how many years for violent assault, or Burglary, robbery etc,

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I didn't know pilots made enough money these days to afford a place in two different states.

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Another aircraft with a bathroom? I really must try an American flight, we only have room for a toilet cubicle in every flight I have ever been on. Doesn't all the bath water slosh about a bit?

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What? We call it a bathroom even if it's just a toilet.

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Yes, I know and it baffles me as to why.

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She should have grateful for the attention

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5 years for groping a bum?? I'd have woken up and given him what for and probably slapped him but seriously what a waste of everyone's time and money.

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