the man who groped teen girl on flight last year sentenced.. 20 months in prison

[Demovictory9]

A 15-year-old girl recorded a Texas man groping her on a flight last year, federal officials said.

Now Vincent Harry Kopacek, 76, of Fredericksburg, is going to prison for 20 months on a charge of abusive sexual contact, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Montana said in a news release.

--------------

Prosecutors said a 15-year-old girl recorded Kopacek sexually assaulting her on an Allegiant Airlines flight from Austin to Bozeman, Montana, on July 8, 2021, according to the criminal complaint.

The teen told investigators she was sitting in the seat directly ahead of Kopacek with her mother and sister.

Before the plane took off, she said Kopacek reached around her seat and touched her body, prosecutors said in court documents.

He’s accused of then touching the teen multiple times throughout the flight, including grabbing and squeezing her arm and touching her chest and breasts. He also tried to touch near her waistline, prosecutors said.

============

The girl recorded 20 videos of Kopacek touching her and took photos of him with her phone, according to documents.

In addition to his 20-month sentence, Kopacek was also ordered to five years of supervised release and to pay $363 in restitution.

“Vince cannot explain his decisions and actions on that flight. It (is) the opinion of his friends and family, as well as the undersigned, that Vince is as shocked as anyone that he committed this act,” his attorney wrote in his sentencing memorandum.

https://nbcmontana.com/news/local/man-arrested-on-plane-for-alleged-sexual-assault

[exboyfil]

1. Vince is as shocked as anyone that he committed this act

Right. I am sure he has never done anything like this before. /s

[hlthe2b]

2. Probably just a creep with a pattern. It is sometimes seen in dementia though...

[Marcuse]

5. Bush the Greater had that issue toward the end.

[hlthe2b]

7. Yes. I remember that.

[njhoneybadger]

3. I guess the devil made him do it.

[jimfields33]

9. Dementia most likely

It happens to older folks. Of course the lawyer was an idiot for not getting him checked out.

[wryter2000]

4. He has a sad

He figured old white guys can do whatever they want to girls. What do you want to bet he’s done this before?

[elias7]

6. He still has friends? He is shocked?

If he had dementia, that should have come out before conviction and sentencing.

I’m amazed the girl took 20 videos yet this persisted throughout the flight. Any adult - a parent, a flight attendant, anyone - could have been enlisted for help at any point…

[Blue Owl]

8. Odds are good that he's running for a governor/senator/congress position with the GOP

[2naSalit]

11. Yeah...

I'm guessing his friends work in some government office in Helena.

[2naSalit]

10. And did they tell the flight crew?

Seriously, something should have been done inflight.

I mean, if it were me, the guy would have been rendered unconscious after the first ten seconds but that's just me.

[Demovictory9]

14. 15 yr old flying alone

[Jedi Guy]

15. From the article...

The teen told investigators she was sitting in the seat directly ahead of Kopacek with her mother and sister.

[2naSalit]

16. +1

And even at that age, I would have nailed him with something hard and heavy.

[ForgedCrank]

12. Something is

very off about this entire incident.
Maybe I'm being naive, but wouldn't even a pedophile stop the behavior when confronted and photographed doing such a disgusting thing?
I'm not making excuses for this at all, but I'm wondering if there is some sort of mental illness involved here. And if so, after his 20 months, what will they do to keep him away from women and children? He obviously can't stop even when confronted, and that is really disturbing.

[cbabe]

13. Victim did the right thing.

Most abuse victims are not believed. Prosecutions are difficult if done at all.

Video evidence of the ongoing assault is compelling. Plus cellphone evidence is the culture of the young.

Calling for help sets up a he said/she said. But she captured the crime for prosecution that couldn’t be brushed off.

I salute her courage.