Federal jury finds NJ man guilty of sexually abusing sleeping woman on cross-country flight
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A northern New Jersey man has been convicted of sexually abusing a sleeping woman on a cross-country flight last year.
Jurors returned the verdict against 49-year-old Bawer Aksal (BAO'-uhr OCK'-sahl) on Friday, their second day of deliberations. The Turkish-born American citizen was convicted of sexual abuse and abusive sexual contact.
The woman testified under an alias that she awoke on the Phoenix-to-Newark flight last August to find Aksal with one hand inside her blouse and the other inside her underwear.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Aksal didn't testify but told authorities the woman made unwanted sexual advances toward him and forced his hands to touch her.
On Thursday, jurors had asked to review testimony by a man who sat next to Aksal on the flight and by an FBI agent who interviewed the defendant.