MISSOULA — A New Jersey man accused of sexual assault while flying from Bozeman to Dallas has admitted to the charges, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme announced today.
Bhaveshkumar Dahyabhai Shukla, 37, pleaded guilty to one count of abusive sexual contact in the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States. Shukla faces up to 2 years of imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and at least 5 years of supervised release.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto presided over the case. Sentencing is set for November 19, 2025, and Shukla has been detained pending further proceedings.
According to court documents, on January 26, 2025, Shukla was seated next to a woman, identified as Jane Doe, and her daughter on an American Airlines flight from Bozeman to Dallas. The government alleged that Shukla initially pretended to be sleeping but then began rubbing Doe's leg near her pocket on her hip.
Doe initially thought Shukla was trying to pick her pocket, so she and her daughter went to the restroom to diffuse the situation. However, Shukla continued to rub Doe's inner and outer thigh throughout the flight, despite her telling him to stop.
As the flight continued, Shukla also started rubbing Doe's lower back and buttocks, according to the documents. A witness seated behind Shukla and Doe confirmed that Shukla inappropriately touched Doe for a large portion of the flight.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zeno Baucus and Brian Lowney prosecuted the case. The FBI, ICE, and Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport Police conducted the investigation.
Parts of this story were converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
