Alaska man sentenced for sexually assaulting teen on flight

SEATTLE - An Alaska man was sentenced to prison for sexually assaulting a 17-year-old girl on a flight to Seattle.

The backstory:

Trayton C. Ballot, 29, received an 18-month federal prison sentence for an incident that happened on an Alaska Airlines flight from Anchorage on Jan. 15, 2025.

Prosecutors said Ballot repeatedly touched the teenager's inner thigh while she slept, and continued the abusive sexual contact despite her repeatedly removing his hand and blocking him with a tray table and stuffed animal.

It wasn't until the teen notified her mother seated in the row behind her that flight attendants moved her to a different seat. Ballot was arrested when the flight landed in Seattle.

What they're saying:

"The Western District of Washington has received a significant number of reported sexual assaults on aircraft in the last several years," said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. "This sentence should serve as a warning to others who think they can take advantage of a plane’s environment to abuse vulnerable victims. We will take these cases, and take them to trial if necessary, to get justice for victims."

In court, the victim testified, saying she was "trapped in a small place where I could not defend myself… It was predatory – attacking me while I was asleep."

"I commend the bravery displayed by this underage victim, and her mother, in speaking up for her safety by reporting this crime to the flight crew," said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. "Sexual misconduct aboard aircraft is a federal crime, one the FBI investigates and takes seriously. We encourage victims and witnesses to report such crimes to the flight crew; Port of Seattle Police or your local airport police; and the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324) or tips.fbi.gov."

The judge also ordered Ballot serve 10 years of supervised release after serving his prison sentence.

The FBI investigated the case with assistance from the Port of Seattle Police.