Airline passenger accused of groping 13-year-old girl to stay in jail

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — An airline passenger accused of groping a 13-year-old girl on a flight from Dallas to Portland will remain in jail for now


At a hearing Monday in Portland, Magistrate Judge John Jelderks agreed with prosecutors to keep Chad Camp behind bars. He will be granted temporary release for drug-and-alcohol evaluation.

Camp pleaded not guilty after his arrest last week on a federal charge of abusive sexual conduct.

The judge noted that 26-year-old suburban Portland man has a history of substance abuse, and warned him that there's a big difference between "being a drunk and a drunk who abuses youngsters."

Authorities say a flight attendant saw Camp grope the unaccompanied minor shortly after takeoff on the American Airlines flight.

A witness said Camp had four mixed drinks at an airport bar.

A flight attendant had advised Camp that other seats were available, but he sat in the middle seat next to the 13-year-old girl, the complaint said.

Camp allegedly began making small talk with the child in the seat next to him.

He leaned against her, nudged her, touched her with his elbow and placed his hands on her knee and upper thigh three times, according to the complaint.

Police, FBI arrest man

A flight attendant distributing snacks saw Camp’s hand near the victim’s crotch, according to the complaint.

She described seeing a tear coming down the victim’s cheek and ordered Camp to change seats.

She moved the girl up a number of rows, ordered Camp farther back on the aircraft and notified the captain, the complaint said.

The captain told Port of Portland Police, and the suspect was arrested by police and FBI agents when the plane landed in Portland.

Camp is being held without bail in Multnomah County Jail.

 

‘She … doesn’t want to be on an airplane ever again’

An attorney for the victim’s family told CNN affiliate KOIN that the girl felt trapped during the incident.

“She is already saying she doesn’t want to be on an airplane ever again,” Brent Goodfellow told the affiliate. “I sat with the family for about three hours … she didn’t want to be touched by her mom, every time she went to give her kind of a loving touch she would jump.”

The airline declined to provide details on an ongoing investigation, and referred questions to authorities.

“American cares deeply about our young passengers and is committed to providing a safe and pleasant travel experience for them,” American Airlines said in a statement.

” We take these matters very seriously and have cooperated fully and immediately with law enforcement officials in their investigation of the suspect.”