Tulsa man convicted of repeatedly groping woman on Southwest flight to Dallas, prosecutors say
An Oklahoma man who repeatedly inappropriately touched a female passenger on a Southwest Airlines flight to Dallas in April 2023 has been convicted of abusive sexual contact, federal prosecutors said Friday.
William R. McKelvy, 65, of Tulsa, faces up to three years in federal prison when he appears for sentencing Sept. 8 before Chief U.S. District Judge David C. Godbey.
Repeated groping during flight from Tulsa
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Texas, McKelvy groped a woman's breast and inner thigh on four separate occasions during the flight from Tulsa to Dallas.
While the woman initially believed the contact might have been accidental, she later pushed McKelvy away and warned him to stop. After a fourth incident, she yelled at him, drawing the attention of nearby passengers, prosecutors said.
"Get your ** hand off me, or I will break your ** hand!" she testified.
Passengers and crew intervene
Prosecutors said fellow passengers intervened, telling McKelvy to stop and change seats, before a flight attendant moved him to the back of the plane. Police met the flight at Dallas Love Field.
When questioned by officers, McKelvy admitted to vaping on the plane and downplayed the incident, saying he had "flirted with this chick."
Defendant claims memory loss
Testifying during the trial, McKelvy claimed he couldn't remember the incident because he had consumed alcohol and marijuana gummies.
The jury deliberated for less than 30 minutes before returning a guilty verdict.
Prosecutors praise victim and bystanders
"No person should have to endure egregious attacks such as this aboard an aircraft, where appropriate behavior is crucial for the well-being of all passengers," Acting U.S. Attorney Nancy E. Larson said in a news release. "We applaud the swift response of fellow passengers, crew members, and our law enforcement partners in this case to come to the victim's defense.
"For her sake and the community's, we will continue to bring predators like this to justice and deter others from doing so."
Investigation led by FBI and Dallas police
The FBI and Dallas Police Department conducted the investigation.
