MISSOULA - A New Jersey man who admitted to sexually assaulting a woman passenger seated next to him on a flight from New Jersey to Bozeman was sentenced on Wednesday to five years of probation, with six months of home confinement, ordered to register as a sex offender and to pay a total of $5,100 in special assessments, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said today.

The defendant, Piyush Mathew, 31, of Robbinsville Township, New Jersey, pleaded guilty in March to abusive sexual contact in the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States as charged in an indictment.

U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided.

In court documents, the government alleged that on Sept. 7, 2023, Mathew and the victim, identified as Jane Doe, were seated next to each other on United Airlines Flight 1300 from New Jersey to Bozeman. Doe was seated in the middle seat, while Mathew was seated in an aisle seat. Prior to departure, Mathew raised the armrest between them, and once the plane was in the air, he assaulted Doe for the duration of the flight. Mathew, pretending to be asleep, touched Doe multiple times on different parts of her body, including her thighs, fingers, arms, stomach, and breasts. Doe had hoped to alert the flight crew of Mathew's behavior, however, Mathew stood immediately behind her for deboarding, and she felt she was unable to tell the flight crew. Instead, Doe approached another male passenger who was in front of them and pretended to know him as a safeguard from Mathew while leaving the plane. The male passenger reported to law enforcement that Doe looked upset and as if she were about to cry.

The U.S. Attorney's Office prosecuted the case. The FBI, Gallatin Airport Authority, and Bozeman Airport Police conducted the investigation.

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