NEWARK, NJ—A man who fondled a sleeping female passenger aboard a flight from Tokyo to Newark appeared in court Tuesday for 
allegedly engaging in abusive sexual contact, federal officials said.
Eun Jong Lee, 47, of New York, was arrested by FBI agents upon arrival in Newark on Monday.
According to the complaint filed in court, this is what happened:
Lee was seated next to a woman on a United Airlines flight from Tokyo to Newark Liberty International Airport. While the plane was in the air, the female victim who did not know Lee fell asleep.
She awoke to find Lee’s hand on the front of her shirt, touching her breast through her clothing. Lee then touched the skin of her neck and attempted to place his hand down the front of the woman’s shirt.
After asking Lee to stop touching her, the woman reported the incident to a flight crew member and provided the crew member a written statement describing what happened.
The federal government has exclusive jurisdiction over all abusive sexual contact cases that occur in American airplanes in flight.
Lee is facing up to two years in prison and a $250,000 fine. He is presumed innocent until proven guilty.