US attorney: Sex assault suspect on Spirit flight had wife sitting next to him

DETROIT (WJBK) - A Spirit Airlines passenger is accused of sexually assaulting a woman on a flight to Detroit.

Prabhu Ramamoorthy was in federal custody after the alleged assault on a red eye flight from Las Vegas to Metro Airport Wednesday. A U.S. attorney says his wife was sitting right next to him.

The 22-year-old victim says she was sleeping next to the window on a Spirit airplane when she woke up to allegedly find the defendant's hand in her pants inside her genitals.

The U.S. attorney on the case says the woman was visibly shocked and upset and got up to tell the flight attendants what happened. Her shirt and pants were unbuttoned.

Ramamoorthy first denied the allegations but then said he fell in a deep sleep after taking some sort of medication. He later told investigators that the victim fell asleep on his knees and that he might have undone her bra while playing with it and that he had cupped her breast.

His wife later said the only medication they had with them was regular strength Tylenol. Ramamoorthy is from India here in the U.S. on a temporary work Visa.

He is a project manager at Systems Technology Group in Troy. He has no prior criminal history.

Cameras are not allowed in federal court but FOX 2 was inside as well as the defendant's wife. She was visibly upset and declined comment.

The U.S. attorney believes she was either oblivious to what her husband was allegedly doing or she is colluding with him.

Pramamoorthy will remain in federal custody. His next court hearing is Jan. 24.