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ASSOCIATED PRESS
This undated photo provided by the Multnomah County Sheriff’s office shows Chad Camp, who is accused of groping a 13-year-old girl on a flight from Dallas to Portland, Ore.
PORTLAND, Ore. >> A judge ordered the continued detainment of an Oregon man accused of groping a 13-year-old girl during an American Airlines flight last week.
Chad Camp, 26, of Gresham said little at today’s hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge John Jelderks, and defense attorney Ralph Gzik did not contest a prosecutor’s recommendation to keep him in a Portland jail for now.
“I just don’t want to say anything wrong,” Camp said of his reticence.
Camp will be granted a brief release for a drug-and-alcohol evaluation.
A witness told investigators that Camp consumed four mixed drinks in one hour at an airport bar before the flight. Glancing at paperwork, the judge noticed that Camp has a history of substance abuse.
“There is a big difference between being a drunk and a drunk who abuses youngsters,” the judge warned.
FBI agents arrested Camp after Wednesday’s flight from Dallas landed at Portland International Airport. The following day, he pleaded not guilty to a charge of abusive sexual contact.
Authorities say a flight attendant was delivering snacks early in the flight when she noticed Camp’s hand in the victim’s crotch area. She then noticed a single tear falling down the girl’s cheek.
The flight attendant quickly separated them, sending Camp to row 30 and the unaccompanied minor to row 8.
“The victim had to go to the bathroom for the duration of the flight but was too frightened to get up due to possibly seeing Camp on the plane,” according to an affidavit written by FBI agent Travis Gluesenkamp.
The airline charges an extra $150 for unaccompanied minors to fly.
“Our unaccompanied minor service is to ensure your child is boarded onto the aircraft, introduced to the flight attendant, chaperoned during connections and released to the appropriate person at their destination,” according to American Airlines’ website.
Brent Goodfellow, an Oregon attorney representing the girl’s family, did not return a phone message seeking comment Monday.
Camp’s next court date is scheduled for July 15.
Reading this gave me a rush of different emotions. I felt so sorry for this baby girl to experience this while alone on a flight. The airlines will pay up and pay dearly, hopefully the money will help the girl get the help she will need after this ordeal.
Another emotion is of rage. I would strangle the person that I catch in the act of doing this. These people are pure evil.
And I have yet another emotion. One of curiosity….policy clearly states what the airlines is responsible for when “chaperoning” minors, and it does not include standing over them every second of the flight. These sick losers only need a few seconds to do something. So airlines should “pay up and pay dearly”? Hmmm.
Obviously, standing over them every second of the flight is absurd, but an ounce of prevention could have prevented this. There has been enough incidents like this prior to justify placing that girl in a seat that could have been more less likely for this to happen. Notice I didn’t say ‘guaranteed’ to not happen but less likely.
If people can sue, and win, for spilling hot coffee on themselves then I guarantee this airline will pay for their share of negligence and their policy regarding a child traveling alone will be re-written.
Just because people can sue for too hot coffee still doesn’t mean it is morally right. Right?
Agree. The seats airlines should always put unaccompanied minors is in the aisle seats and in the first row of a section that is usually closest to the flight attendant galley, flight attendant jump seats and/or restrooms where it is most open and very difficult for a perv to do anything in these front row seats. Yes, these are prize seats for frequent fliers but kids should be given the priority after incidents like that.
Wasn’t there an ex Hawaii State legislator convicted of doing the same thing while flying in a plane? I cannot remember his name. Also wasn’t there a legislature who cruised a men’s public restroom and got arrested for grabbing the junk of a male undercover officer but I cannot remember his name either.
why should the airlines pay up for what the pervert did? looks like they were attentive to the problem and resolved it best as possible.
This isn’t the entire story. Initially, when the perv sat next to the girl the flight attendant suggested other seats. The perv said he was fine where he was. The flight attendant should have moved the girl at that point. He/She FAILED to act. That’s why the airlines should pay.
Too often, people don’t act on their first instincts for fear of offending someone. Whether it’s fear of being called out by the pc police, or public social media shaming. If something doesn’t look right, follow your gut instincts because it’s probably right.
http://www.cnn.com/2016/06/19/us/oregon-man-accused-of-groping-child-on-airline-flight/
He was offered a different seat because he was in a middle seat (likely) not because he looks like a perv. There was no mention that I could see that the offer was based on a concern. Also, keep in mind that it’s the consumers and/or stockholders that pay not the airlines.
I agree, Tita Girl. The flight attendant should have followed through and separated these two passengers from the outset. If the man had 4 drinks in an hour before boarding, my guess would be he showed at least some signs of intoxication – leaving a 13-year-old sitting next to an intoxicated man isn’t excusable regardless of whether he “looked like a perv” or not.
Thank you for expressing what is in most of our hearts! Evil comes in many forms and the worse is when it saturates into our hearts and destroy any decency within, then we become the very essence of what we deplore! This man is not worthy of that. Let the authorities punish him according to the law of the land and let God be the judge of his soul!
scary
can you please just go away forever already!!!
As long as you keep responding to the old bag, it won’t.
@ islandsyl – Should have just opened the door and threw him out!
All are not created equally, the male for his abhorrent behavior and the juvenile female to travel unchaperoned. Sad as usual for a child to experienced such a traumatic act. For the male’s wicked acts damnation forever.
Keep him in jail for awhile.
children should be taught to complain immediately when being subjected to anything inappropriate. airlines need to pay more attention when minors traveling alone; they charge extra.
You should never put you kid on an airplane unaccompanied.
Feel bad for the poor girl. She was probably too scared to even push the flight attendant call button. Just so sad that she didn’t even say anything when the flight attendant came by – the attendant only noticed the tear.
off with his peck er and his hands, in that order
Sadly, this is not an isolated “perv”. Something about enclosed spaces like a plane or train, especially planes, triggers this kind of obnoxious behavior from a certain type of man. Add alcohol, and it’s even worse. Some of the men may not try to touch you, but they won’t stop talking to you, hoping to get lucky. Solo female travelers know what I’m talking about. We breathe an obvious sigh of relief when we are seated next to a woman. Good luck trying to get the airline to do anything. They will tell you it’s a police matter and to contact your local PD.