Man Pleads Guilty and is Sentenced for Exposing Himself on an Aircraft

BOSTON – An Indian man, arrested last week for masturbating and exposing himself on a flight within the view of two other passengers, has pleaded guilty and was sentenced.

Krishna Kunapuli, 39, pleaded guilty on Oct. 24, 2024 to one count of committing lewd, indecent, or obscene acts on an aircraft. Kunapuli was also sentenced by U.S. Magistrate Judge David H. Hennessy to two years of probation and a $5,000 fine. He was also ordered to delete, in the presence of law enforcement, photographs that he took of a female passenger during the flight and to have no contact with her.  

According to the charging documents, Kunapuli made unwanted sexual advances towards a female passenger on board a flight from Abu Dhabi to Boston, including touching her hair and taking pictures of her without her permission.  After a crew member intervened, Kunapuli returned to his seat.

Later in the flight, two male passengers seated near Kunapuli noticed Kunapuli masturbating under a blanket and, at times, with his penis fully exposed. One of the passengers reported this conduct to a flight attendant, who intervened, and alerted law enforcement.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elianna J. Nuzum of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.