
Man charged after allegedly touching passenger, their food on Gold Coast-bound flight
It will be alleged the 41-year-old targeted the woman while on an evening flight from Sydney to the Gold Coast on February 4.
The man allegedly put his hand on the woman's inner thigh several times during the flight, then stuck his hands in her food, the Australian Federal Police (AFP) say.
Police arrested the man when the flight touched down at Gold Coast Airport.
He was charged with one count of an act of indecency, which carries a maximum penalty of seven years' jail.
The Gold Coast man is due to appear in Southport Magistrates Court on Monday.
AFP Detective Superintendent Scott Moller said all travellers had the right to feel safe during their journey.
'When travelling through an airport and on a plane, people are bound by Australian law and, where there is evidence someone has committed an (alleged) criminal offence, the AFP will take action,' Superintendent Moller said.
'This (alleged) incident should serve as a reminder to the community that authorities will not tolerate indecent behaviour at our airports or on aircraft.'
Anyone needing a police presence at an airport or wanting to report an incident should call the AFP's Airport Watch on 131 237.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

Sky News AU
39 minutes ago
- Sky News AU
‘She could afford a chauffeur': Emma Watson receives six-month driving ban for speeding
Sky News contributor Louise Roberts discusses Emma Watson's six-month driving ban for speeding in the UK. 'Well, she didn't turn up in court, so it was a five-minute hearing, and the fine was the equivalent of just over $2000 Australian,' Ms Roberts told Sky News host Caroline Di Russo. 'She was about 12 kilometres over the limit, I believe, and that's what sort of sealed her fate. 'A driving ban for six months, I mean, she could probably afford a chauffeur, so it won't impact her too much.'

News.com.au
3 hours ago
- News.com.au
Iraq shopping mall fire kills more than 60
A fire tore through a newly opened shopping mall in the eastern Iraqi city of Kut overnight, killing at least 61 people, authorities said Thursday, as grief-stricken families searched for missing relatives. Officials said many people suffocated in bathrooms, while one person told AFP that his five relatives died in an elevator. The blaze -- the latest in a country where safety regulations are frequently neglected -- broke out late Wednesday, reportedly starting on the first floor before rapidly engulfing the five-storey Corniche Hypermarket Mall. The cause was not immediately known, but one survivor told AFP an air conditioner had exploded. Several people told AFP they lost families including mothers and children who had gone to shop and dine at the mall, days after it opened in Kut -- around 160 kilometres (100 miles) southeast of Baghdad. Footage shared on social media showed people including children standing on the roof, calling for help. Ali Kadhim, 51, has been shuttling between the mall and the main hospital, where the victims were taken, looking for his cousin, who is missing with his wife and three children. Back at the mall, he waited anxiously as rescuers searched for victims in the wreckage, with an ambulance on standby. "We don't know what happened to them," he said. An AFP correspondent at the scene said the blaze had been contained and the front of the building was severely charred. The interior ministry said in a statement that "the tragic fire claimed the lives of 61 innocent citizens, most of whom suffocated in bathrooms, and among them 14 charred bodies yet to be identified." - 'We couldn't escape' - INA news agency later quoted a medical source who put the toll at 63 dead and 40 injured. Wasit province governor Mohammed al-Miyahi told the official INA news agency the victims included men, women and children. A medical source in Kut told AFP there were "many unidentified bodies". An AFP correspondent reported seeing charred bodies at the province's forensic department. Civil defence teams rescued more than 45 people who were trapped inside the building, which includes a restaurant and a supermarket, the interior ministry said. Ambulances ferried casualties as late as 4:00 am, with wards in Kut overwhelmed. An AFP correspondent reported seeing distraught relatives waiting at the forensic department for news, some collapsing in grief. One man fell apart, pounding his chest and screaming. Nasir al-Quraishi, a doctor in his 50s, said he lost five family members in the fire. "A disaster has befallen us," he told AFP. "We went to the mall to have some food, eat dinner and escape power cuts at home. "An air conditioner exploded on the second floor and then the fire erupted -- and we couldn't escape." - Lax safety regulations - Moataz Karim, 45, hurried to the mall at midnight, only to be met with the devastating news that three of his relatives were missing. Hours later, he identified two relatives despite their charred bodies, one of whom had only begun working at the shopping centre three days ago. "There is no fire extinguishing system," he said in anger, as he waited further news outside the forensic department. Safety standards in Iraq's construction sector are often disregarded, and the country, whose infrastructure is in disrepair after decades of conflict, is often the scene of fatal fires and accidents. Fires increase during the blistering summer as temperatures approach 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit). In September 2023, a fire killed at least 100 people when it ripped through a crowded Iraqi wedding hall, sparking a panicked stampede for the exits. In July 2021, a fire in the Covid unit of a hospital in southern Iraq killed more than 60 people. Governor Miyahi declared three days of mourning in Wasit province and said local authorities would file a lawsuit against the mall's owner and the building contractor. "The tragedy is a major shock... and requires a serious review of all safety measures," he said. Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani ordered a "thorough probe" into the fire to identify "shortcomings" and prevent further incidents. Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, Shiite Islam's highest authority in Iraq, offered condolences to the victims' families. str-cbg-rh/dv

Sky News AU
8 hours ago
- Sky News AU
Qantas obtains interim junction in NSW Supreme Court to prevent data stolen in massive cyber attack from being released
Qantas has gone to court to stop the personal data of millions of customers being released by the group behind the recent cyber attack. The data of about 5.7 million Qantas customers was leaked earlier this month including residential addresses, phone numbers, dates of birth and even meal preferences. Qantas insists there is no evidence that any stolen data has been released, but has taken action to prevent this from happening. The national carrier said it has obtained an interim injunction in the NSW Supreme Court to prevent the data from being accessed, viewed, released, used, transmitted or published by anyone. 'We want to do all we can to protect our customers' personal information and believe this was an important next course of action,' a statement from Qantas says. Qantas said it is working with the Australian Federal Police, the National Cyber Security Coordinator and the Australian Cyber Security Centre for its investigation. The airline stressed it had become 'aware of increase reports of scammers' impersonating the airline and urged for passenger caution. 'We recommend customers remain alert for unusual communications claiming to be from Qantas or requesting personal information or passwords,' the airline said. 'Qantas will never contact customers requesting passwords, booking reference details or sensitive login information.' The airline said no credit card details, personal financial information or passport details were accessed in the breach as they are not stored in the compromised system. Customers received emails in the week after the breach with details outlining exactly what pieces of their personal details have been accessed. The email, titled "Confirmation of your details impacted by the cyber incident", was sent on behalf of Qantas Group CEO Vanessa Hudson. It outlined what elements of their personal information was accessed following an investigation by Qantas cyber security teams. The airline said 1.3 million addresses, which included residential and business addresses alongside hotels for misplaced baggage delivery, were taken in the breach. The date of births for 1.1 million customers, alongside 900,000 phone numbers, the genders of 400,000 and the meal preferences of 10,000 were also leaked. At least 1.2 million customers' names and email addresses were taken, while another 2.8 million customers' name, email address and Qantas Frequent Flyer number were stolen. The majority of these had their tier list included while a smaller group had their points balance and status credit details stolen. Qantas first detected unusual activity on a third-party platform used by an airline contact centre several weeks ago. The airline said it took "immediate steps and contained the system" and assured customers all of the airline's systems remained secure. An investigation into the cyber incident is ongoing, and additional security measures are also being put in place to "further restrict access and strengthen system monitoring and detection".