A 48-year-old French man is facing federal charges in Florida after authorities say he sexually assaulted a sleeping woman during a Swiss International Air Lines flight from Zurich to Miami. Guillaume Sebastien Roger Mattler was taken into custody and charged with one count of abusive sexual contact following the incident on Tuesday, April 28.
The victim, a 29-year-old woman, had been sleeping in the first-class cabin when the assault occurred. According to the criminal complaint, witnesses watched as Mattler allegedly touched the woman’s lower back several times, attempting to make the contact look accidental.
One passenger told investigators they saw Mattler moving his hand in a “submarine” motion to get under the woman’s clothing.
The situation was brought to the attention of a flight attendant who reported seeing Mattler with his hand on the victim’s crotch, performing a “scooping or rubbing motion” over her jeans.
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After confirming that the two were not traveling together, the crew moved Mattler to the economy section of the plane.
In a disturbing turn, Mattler was later allowed to return to the first-class area to retrieve his personal belongings, at which point he allegedly tried to pass the victim a note. The note, written on his business card, told the woman she looked “beautiful” or “cute” while sleeping.
The victim did not learn of the encounter until the flight attendant woke her and explained what had happened. The complaint notes that she was “shocked” and began crying and shaking.
When questioned by authorities in Miami, Mattler initially denied any physical contact. However, after being told there were multiple eyewitnesses and video evidence, he allegedly admitted to the touching, stating “that he did not think it was such a big deal.”
He told officials his intention was simply to get the woman’s phone number.
Mattler is currently being held at the Federal Detention Center in Miami. His attorney has not yet issued a statement regarding the allegations.
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