A San Diego man has been convicted of sexually assaulting a teenager on a plane

San Diego resident Ryan Coffey was on a cross-country flight in January 2023 when he served alcohol to the 14-year-old sitting next to him, according to court records.

He did not know the girl, who is 17 years old, according to the US Department of Justice.

That didn’t stop Coffey, however, from sexually assaulting her on an American Airlines evening flight from Charlotte, NC, to San Diego.

A federal judge has now sentenced Coffey to prison for his actions.

The 33-year-old was sentenced Monday to two years in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release and ordered to pay less than $11,000 in fines and restitution. Coffey pleaded guilty to sexually abusing a minor once abusive sex in August.

A call to his lawyer could not be reached.

Coffey admitted in court that he gave the girl rum and touched her inside the thigh and breasts, according to the Department of Justice.

Another passenger said she heard the child tell Coffey she was afraid of flying, according to the sentencing letter. That’s when he pulled out a bottle of alcohol from his bag and gave it to her to relax, according to the witness statement in the memo.

“He then patted her on the leg and gave her a hand to hold,” the memo noted. “He even grabbed her waist while he was watching a movie during the flight.”

Eventually, the victim said Coffey again forced his fingers into her private part to perform oral sex.

The sentencing memo also revealed that he was flying with my brother, according to the sentencing. However, he was sitting in front of him many rows that were not revealed; A 14-year-old was sitting between two strangers.

“Ryan Coffey’s behavior was abhorrent,” acting FBI San Diego Special Agent in Charge TJ Holland said in a statement in August. “The FBI, along with our dedicated law enforcement partners, are committed to using every tool available to pursue evidence and bring those who commit crimes against children to justice.”