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This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.

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Teen Says United Airlines Did Nothing To Stop Her Creepy, Masturbating Seatmate

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A teenager told the disturbing story of how United Airlines refused to do anything about a passenger masturbating across the aisle from her on a crosscountry flight from New York to Los Angeles.

Monica Amestoy, who was 17 at the time of the incident and is 18 now, was a high school student flying back from a debate tournament on the east coast last October. Now she is being represented by Gloria Allred and is suing United Airlines. Today Allred held a press conference, and Amestoy told her story.

The teen, who was flying alone, says that she complained several times to a flight attendant that her fellow passenger was flashing his penis and masturbating throughout the flight, according to TMZ. Amestoy says he stopped only when the flight attendant would pass by. She says the flight attendant made no effort to move her, tell the male passenger to stop or otherwise accomodate her.

But once she landed on terra firma and told her parents what happened, the police got involved. The man was convicted in a criminal case and is now forced to register as a sex offender. Now the girl is suing the airlines for failing to protect a minor from (disgusting) criminal behavior.

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Allred didn't say how much they're seeking from the airlines. Here's part of the press conference:

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