Narrative:

Family of 3 (husband, wife, daughter about 4 yrs old) came aft to complain that the man across the aisle from then had been masturbating. The family was upset (wife passenger xy. Husband passenger X). Passenger xy was the one I talked to (husband passenger X was in lavatory). I expressed concern and suggested we move the family from row (their seats) to another part of the aircraft. I called the cockpit and told the captain what the problem was and that I wanted to put the family up in first class, as all other rows were occupied by sleeping passenger. Captain agreed. I moved family up to first class. The man accused (passenger Y), observed the move and asked my flying partner the reason. She said the family accused him of something, but was not about to say what. Mr passenger Y said passenger X had said something threatening to him (we never found out what) and he wanted security to meet flight. We did not serve any parties involved alcohol. A passenger service representative met flight but the passenger X family just left. Mr passenger Y talked with passenger service representative who first got details from all crew involved. That is all I know. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that it appears that the husband made the so-called threatening remark to the purported offender as the family got up to go tell the flight attendants about the sexual offense. As the reporter spoke to the captain about moving them to first class, her flying partner actually advised the family not to follow through with their complaint to security in chicago, because they would be detained for questioning several hours. Basically, she told them it was their word against his. There were no other witnesses, as it was an all-nighter and everyone was asleep. The captain said that he agreed with that suggestion and felt the crew handled the situation well.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CABIN ATTENDANT RPT, B737-800, RNO-ORD. PAX ACCUSED OF SEXUAL MISCONDUCT. PAX SVC SUPVR MET FLT, INTERROGATED CREW AND PAX.

Narrative: FAMILY OF 3 (HUSBAND, WIFE, DAUGHTER ABOUT 4 YRS OLD) CAME AFT TO COMPLAIN THAT THE MAN ACROSS THE AISLE FROM THEN HAD BEEN MASTURBATING. THE FAMILY WAS UPSET (WIFE PAX XY. HUSBAND PAX X). PAX XY WAS THE ONE I TALKED TO (HUSBAND PAX X WAS IN LAVATORY). I EXPRESSED CONCERN AND SUGGESTED WE MOVE THE FAMILY FROM ROW (THEIR SEATS) TO ANOTHER PART OF THE ACFT. I CALLED THE COCKPIT AND TOLD THE CAPT WHAT THE PROB WAS AND THAT I WANTED TO PUT THE FAMILY UP IN FIRST CLASS, AS ALL OTHER ROWS WERE OCCUPIED BY SLEEPING PAX. CAPT AGREED. I MOVED FAMILY UP TO FIRST CLASS. THE MAN ACCUSED (PAX Y), OBSERVED THE MOVE AND ASKED MY FLYING PARTNER THE REASON. SHE SAID THE FAMILY ACCUSED HIM OF SOMETHING, BUT WAS NOT ABOUT TO SAY WHAT. MR PAX Y SAID PAX X HAD SAID SOMETHING THREATENING TO HIM (WE NEVER FOUND OUT WHAT) AND HE WANTED SECURITY TO MEET FLT. WE DID NOT SERVE ANY PARTIES INVOLVED ALCOHOL. A PAX SVC REPRESENTATIVE MET FLT BUT THE PAX X FAMILY JUST LEFT. MR PAX Y TALKED WITH PAX SVC REPRESENTATIVE WHO FIRST GOT DETAILS FROM ALL CREW INVOLVED. THAT IS ALL I KNOW. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT IT APPEARS THAT THE HUSBAND MADE THE SO-CALLED THREATENING REMARK TO THE PURPORTED OFFENDER AS THE FAMILY GOT UP TO GO TELL THE FLT ATTENDANTS ABOUT THE SEXUAL OFFENSE. AS THE RPTR SPOKE TO THE CAPT ABOUT MOVING THEM TO FIRST CLASS, HER FLYING PARTNER ACTUALLY ADVISED THE FAMILY NOT TO FOLLOW THROUGH WITH THEIR COMPLAINT TO SECURITY IN CHICAGO, BECAUSE THEY WOULD BE DETAINED FOR QUESTIONING SEVERAL HRS. BASICALLY, SHE TOLD THEM IT WAS THEIR WORD AGAINST HIS. THERE WERE NO OTHER WITNESSES, AS IT WAS AN ALL-NIGHTER AND EVERYONE WAS ASLEEP. THE CAPT SAID THAT HE AGREED WITH THAT SUGGESTION AND FELT THE CREW HANDLED THE SIT WELL.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.