Several weeks ago I wrote about how a passenger was arrested after pleasuring himself on a Southwest Airlines flight in front of others. This case has now been heard in court, and the passenger has been jailed.
In this post:
Backstory of the Southwest masturbation incident
This incident happened on Southwest Airlines flight 3814 from Seattle (SEA) to Phoenix (PHX) on Saturday, April 2, 2022. Here’s what the criminal complaint said (I don’t even want to paraphrase it, because it’s too gross to even paraphrase):
McGarity exposed his penis and masturbated while in view of the female passenger seated next to him. McGarity was seated in seat 11F and his female witness was seated in seat 11E. Shortly after takeoff, and while the aircraft was in the air, McGarity exposed his penis by pulling down his pants and shorts and began masturbating. The female witness captured pictures of McGarity with his hand on his erect penis, which I reviewed during the course of my investigation. At some point during the flight, McGarity fell asleep and the female witness got up and advised the flight crew about the incident. She was moved to another seat on the aircraft.
After Southwest Airlines Flight 3814 landed in Phoenix, Arizona, the female witness sitting next to McGarity was interviewed by Phoenix Police Officers. She advised McGarity exposed his penis by pulling down his pants and shorts and proceeded to masturbate during the first hour of the flight, starting shortly after takeoff. McGarity masturbated with his exposed penis in view of the female passenger on four separate occasions, using both his left and right hands. She suspected that McGarity ejaculated because he licked a white substance from his fingers.
Passenger gets 48 day jail sentence
The man involved in this incident has plead guilty to lewd, indecent, or obscene acts while onboard an aircraft, and has been sentenced to 48 days in jail plus one year of probation. During his time on probation he won’t be allowed to fly commercially. For what it’s worth, a conviction for this offense carried a maximum penalty of 90 days in jail.
Here’s the most important detail, in my opinion — the passenger has several prior state and local convictions for lewd and lascivious conduct. So it wasn’t the guy’s first time doing something like this.
Bottom line
A man who repeatedly masturbated on a Southwest Airlines flight in early April has plead guilty, and now faces 48 days in jail plus one year of probation. Given that this wasn’t his first time doing something like this, the punishment seems fair, in my opinion.
What do you make of this Southwest passenger’s punishment?
(Tip of the hat to Mike)
He also needs psychological counseling. Isn’t this voyeurism? He also needs to be banned from flying indefinitely. And placed on the sexual offender registry.
He should have gotten much more jail time. Also, he should have to register as a sex offender.
Thanks a lot, Bin Laden!
Wat????
It's a line from The Hangover.
Love all the bleeding heart commentators proclaiming that he must have “mental health issues”.
Ahhh no. He’s just a disgusting pervert.
Is “Masturbating Southwest Passenger” the new “Aspiring Soundcloud Rapper”?
ughh.... Ben, really?
Is stepping into Garry Leff's (VFTW) territory really a good idea?
He self joined the mile-high club?
This is a form of assault, nothing less. The commenter who described how common it is is part of the problem. Sexual assault is not "having fun," it's about power and violence. Get a life, dudes.
He needs to attend Bible study.
He try to do it at mile high level, but missed out on the club.
So, when he got to the convention in Phoenix, one of his coworkers asked, "it took me 20-hrs to drive from Seattle..how did you get here so fast?" He responds, "I came on a jet!"
I don't get the commercial flight ban. I mean he could do the same in planes, trains and automobiles. Why not ban him from all public transport.
And why bother sending him to prison on his first offense. It's clear he has some judgement or mental issues. Prison is probably going to make him worse. Probation and community service should be much better for him.
Rather than sending him to prison, he needs more...
I don't get the commercial flight ban. I mean he could do the same in planes, trains and automobiles. Why not ban him from all public transport.
And why bother sending him to prison on his first offense. It's clear he has some judgement or mental issues. Prison is probably going to make him worse. Probation and community service should be much better for him.
Rather than sending him to prison, he needs more help mentally.
But probably like US healthcare, the US prison system is a rigged billion dollar industry.
Mental Health. I see how one could be angry (rather than feel sorry for him) being stuck next to him. And I can see how many who merely learned of it in a blog post could still have a strong feeling of disgust. But I wonder how anyone can say with a straight face that there's no mental health issue here. And if there is a mental health issue, then why is criminal sanction the...
Mental Health. I see how one could be angry (rather than feel sorry for him) being stuck next to him. And I can see how many who merely learned of it in a blog post could still have a strong feeling of disgust. But I wonder how anyone can say with a straight face that there's no mental health issue here. And if there is a mental health issue, then why is criminal sanction the only response? I'm the first commenter to even hint that police and charges and courts and jail are maybe not gonna help this guy. Am I a complete outlier here?
First thought that crossed my mind when I read multiple prior offenses of the same type: this guy needs mental help, not more punishment.
The solution to everything isn't always a bigger stick.
With respect, leave it to the guys to feign mental health issues when the victims of these crimes are nearly always female. A 48 day jail, not to be confused with prison, sentence, is a slap on the wrist (excuse the inference). I don’t want this pervert seated next to me or any of my four minor female family members on any future flight. Maybe mental health treatment would be useful but the need for it doesn’t excuse the crime nor real punishment.
Sick is sick and evil is evil. You use the phrase "With respect" in the same sentence as the word "feign", so they kinda cancel each other out. Anyone who behaves as this man did is in fact suffering from a mental problem, not feigning one. He acted in plain view, clearly not influenced by "severe criminal penalties". What justifies severe criminal penalties, other than deterrence? Locking up ill people who behave like this will...
Sick is sick and evil is evil. You use the phrase "With respect" in the same sentence as the word "feign", so they kinda cancel each other out. Anyone who behaves as this man did is in fact suffering from a mental problem, not feigning one. He acted in plain view, clearly not influenced by "severe criminal penalties". What justifies severe criminal penalties, other than deterrence? Locking up ill people who behave like this will not advance your goal of protecting your daughters' innocence.
This pervert won't be seated next to your innocent daughters. A different one will, cuz they never get help, they just get jail when they're caught.
I am with you on this, it is assault. And 48 days is a joke considering his actions previously included. America, stop this state of denial it is a mental illness. If so, the entire country is Fing certifiable. Why wouldn’t people behave this way, there is very little punishment if any. The country has lost it’s moral compass. That coming from an atheist is astonishing.
I don’t understand how you can be turned on by any US airline…
Flying on one is probably one of the biggest turn offs.
I mean if it was EK first or something like this, but even then you’d have fun with your girl and not alone.
As you’d be doing something majorly wrong if you can afford flying that but don’t have a presentable girl with you.
In EK First, nobody would have noticed.
Oh, they will notice it if you do it too loud.
This is a stupid post
Being from Abbotabad, Pakistan, this is socially acceptable in my country but in the US its such a big Brewhaha. Come on people let the man have some fun and live his life. This is what freedom and USA is all about so Live a little and LOVE the Masturbator onstead of hating him.. God Bless The USA & OMAAT
If you care so much about freedom, would you let your wife do the same in Pakistan?
Would they even let you do this in your country in public!?!!?!!
So you would be fine with a stranger masturbating at your wife or daughter?
Of course the troll replies to every other comment but this simple yes or no question.
I think you have already been proven to be a bogus account using an existing user's name where the original user called you out. Ben, I wish you would take some action against this user.
You try to come on here and slam Pakistan. I can assure you masturbating in public in Pakistan is not the norm so don't try to run the country down. Things happen but not in the sense your are trying to portray it.
There is not just one Razzak Memon in the whole of Pakistan so why am I a bogus account. Does this mean that if someone is named John Smith (which is how common my name is) cannot post anywhere because someone else has the same name?
I am not slamming Pakistan as I am a very proud Pakistani and still have family there. The culture is different from the USA but it is what it is and I do not whitewash things when they are dirty.
I don’t know whether this is a troll account or just an idiot but I am from Pakistan and I can absolutely guarantee this is not normal nor “socially acceptable.” It is quite the opposite. Disgusting.
Have you ever heard of the term "Eve Teasing". If you are Pakistani, you should know this. If this is a troll account, look it up on the googles and see for yourself.
This is clearly a troll and anyone falling for it must have a sub-room temperature IQ.
Flying will never be what it once was. When I fly it’s a big deal for me being a AV Geek. I still wear nice clothes even if I’m sitting in Y which is half the time. It’s really a shame to see so many passengers here in the US acting Inappropriately and badly when traveling by air!
Gee, 48 days in the clink...he will have a lot of alone time on his, uh, hands...one would imagine he could "come up" with some sort of activity OK OK I'll stop
What he did was straight-up wrong.
I wish my husband was this excited when we fly.
After that much time in jail, we can only hope he isn't a hardened criminal coming out...
This wasn't a stiff penalty.
You can't deny that he was quite skillful operating both hands.
ahhhh, I love the internet and glad to see my response aroused so many replies
Did Southwest BFL this pervert? If not, why?
Not one of the potential problems Pan Am felt needed to be covered by their videos so yes air travel really was better in the 1960's.
48 days spent in jail jacking off.