33-year-old Massachusetts doctor Sudipta Mohanty has been arrested for “uncovering and masturbating next to a 14-year-old girl” on a Hawaiian Airlines flight from Honolulu to Boston
- dr Sudipta Mohanty appeared in court and was charged with lewd, indecent and obscene acts against the 14-year-old
- The primary care physician at Boston’s Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center has been released on bail
- If convicted, he faces up to 90 days in prison and a $5,000 fine
A Massachusetts doctor has been accused of exposing and masturbating in the seat next to a 14-year-old girl on a 10-hour flight from Honolulu to Boston.
dr Sudipta Mohanty, 33, who works at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, appeared in the city’s federal courthouse Thursday and was charged with a charge of lewd, indecent and obscene acts.
The court heard most of the passengers were asleep when the girl noticed Mohanty’s leg “bouncing up and down” under a blanket next to her about halfway through the Hawaiian Airlines flight in May last year.
The girl was with her grandparents, who were also sleeping across the aisle, when Mohanty pulled the covers off, exposed herself, and ejaculated.
She felt “disgusting and very uncomfortable,” the court heard, and sat down when Mohanty got up to wash in the restroom, but didn’t tell her family until after the plane landed in Boston .
dr Sudipta Mohanty, 33, works at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston
Hawaiian Airlines flight takes about 10 hours to reach Boston from Honoulu
Mohanty, a general practitioner at Boston Hospital, “appeared visibly nervous” when questioned by two FBI agents at his Cambridge home.
“His hands and voice were shaking,” officials said.
Mohanty denied the claim, telling agents, “I have no recollection of it.”
Court documents say Mohanty was traveling with a young woman who “held hands and cuddled” at the start of the flight.
“They asked each other ‘basic level’ questions like, ‘What’s your favorite color?’ which (the girl) found strange,” the affidavit reads.
Mohanty was released on bail and ordered to stay away from anyone under the age of 18 and any places they might gather.
If convicted, he faces up to 90 days in prison and a fine of up to $5,000.
First Assistant US Attorney Joshua Levy (right) is leading the case against Mohanty (left) and has vowed to hold child abusers accountable
A spokesman for Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center said Mohanty was “on leave”
A spokesman for Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center told Boston.com that the hospital is aware of the allegations.
“This individual is on leave and not currently practicing at BIDMC. We cannot comment further on personnel issues,” the hospital said in a statement.
Acting US Attorney Joshua Levy said in a statement: “Everyone, especially children, has the absolute right not to be subjected to lewd behavior while traveling.”
“If you engage in the type of unlawful conduct alleged here, you will be caught and held accountable wherever it occurs,” he added.