Man accused of exposing himself on flight from Abu Dhabi to Boston

An Indian man is accused of masturbating and exposing himself while on a flight from Abu Dhabi to Boston, the U.S. Attorney's Office said Tuesday.

Krishna Kunapuli, 39, faces one count of lewd, indecent and obscene acts while in the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts. He was arrested Monday and is set to appear in federal court in Boston on Tuesday.

Prosecutors allege that Kunapuli made unwanted advances to a female passenger while onboard the Etihad Airlines flight Monday, including touching the woman's hair and taking pictures of her without permission. A crew member intervened, but later other passengers seated near Kunapuli reported that he was masturbating under a blanket, at times exposing himself. A flight attendant intervened and reported the situation to law enforcement, officials said.

The charge carries a sentence of up to 90 days in prison, up to one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $5,000.

More details were not immediately available.