BOSTON (WWLP) – A federal grand jury in Boston indicted a Cambridge man Wednesday for allegedly masturbating and exposing himself in front of a 14-year-old girl seated next to him on a flight from Honolulu to Boston in May 2022.
According to the Department of Justice, Dr. Sudipta Mohanty, 33, has been indicted for one count of lewd, indecent, and obscene acts while under the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States. On August 10, 2023, Mohanty was arrested and charged with a criminal complaint. He was released under conditions.
According to the charging documents, Mohanty was an internal medicine and primary care physician with a practice in Boston at the time of his arrest. Mohanty was allegedly traveling from Honolulu to Boston with a female companion aboard a Hawaiian Airlines flight on May 27, 2022. During the flight, Mohanty allegedly sat next to a 14-year-old minor traveling with her grandparents.
Halfway through the flight, the minor allegedly observed that Mohanty was covered with a blanket up to his neck and that Mohanty’s leg was bouncing. The minor observed shortly thereafter that the blanket was lying on the floor, no longer covering Mohanty, and that Mohanty was masturbating. For the remainder of the flight, the minor moved to an empty seat in a different row.
As soon as the minor arrived in Boston, she informed members of her family and law enforcement of the incident.
A conviction for lewd, indecent, or obscene acts while in the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States is punishable by up to 90 days in prison, one year of supervised release, and a fine of up to $5,000. Federal district court judges impose sentences according to the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in criminal cases.
Joshua S. Levy, Acting United States Attorney, and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division, made the announcement Wednesday. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elianna J. Nuzum of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
Kayleigh Thomas is a digital reporter who has been a part of the 22News team since 2022. Follow Kayleigh on Twitter @kayleighcthomas and view her bio to see more of her work.
