Bruce Alexander, a 49-year-old Tampa resident was arrested and charged with abusive sexual contact aboard a Southwest plane headed from Houston to New Mexico.
According to the affidavit that was filed by the victim, and obtained by KHOU, a woman accused Alexander of touching her breasts as she slept on the plane on Sunday. He was sitting in the row behind her.
When the perpetrator first touched her right breast about 20 minutes into the flight, she thought it was an accident. But when it happened a second time approximately 30 minutes later, the woman stood up and confronted Alexander telling him she did not understand why he thought that was okay. She then had a flight attendant move her seat to another section of the plane.
When initially questioned by authorities, he said he could not recall touching the woman and that he was asleep for most of the flight in the row behind her. Witnesses on the flight did not report seeing him touch the woman, but they did hear her get up and confront him once it happened.
Bruce Alexander
Neither Alexander nor the victim reported having consumed alcohol or sleep aids on the flight.
Once apprehended after the flight, Alexander asked the FBI what he was being charged for, and, subsequently, added “the President of the United States says it’s OK to grab women by their private parts.”
Alexander was referring to the 2005 Access Hollywood tape that aired prior to the 2016 presidential election. The taped conversation between Donald Trump and host Billy Bush showed the future president degrading women and bragging about how if you are rich, you can touch women whenever you want. The highlight of Trump’s interview was when he told Bush that women allowed him to “grab them by the p****.”
Alexander remains in federal custody pending both preliminary and detention hearings today. He faces a maximum of 2 years in jail and a fine of up to $250,000.
