Exclusive: Registered sex offender banned from Spirit Airlines after arrest for groping teenage seatmate
A 65-year-old registered sex offender is facing federal charges for allegedly groping a sleeping teenager on a Spirit Airlines flight.
Indiana resident, John Daniel Fowler, later claimed to police that he had merely been reaching down to help right the thermos of the 17-year-old girl in the next seat after it tipped over.
Fowler, who pleaded guilty to molesting his step-nephew’s girlfriend and is required to register with authorities until November 2033, began the journey with a dust-up at the gate “due to being charged $100 USD for the size of his luggage,” according to an FBI probable cause affidavit reviewed by The Independent.
“This incident was not received well by Fowler, who respond[ed] by blurting out that he hoped the plane would crash,” the affidavit states. “Fowler then apologized and was still allowed to board the aircraft destined to Orlando.”
Fowler is now persona non grata with the carrier, a Spirit Airlines spokesperson said Monday.
“Safety is our top priority, and we have zero tolerance for the behavior as alleged,” the spokesperson told The Independent. “The allegations are serious, and we will provide any necessary assistance to law enforcement in their investigation. Additionally, this individual is no longer welcome on any of our flights.”
Fowler does not yet have an attorney listed on the court docket, and was unable to be reached for comment.
On July 29, Fowler was on Spirit flight NK 1523 from Indianapolis to Orlando, assigned to an aisle seat, according to the affidavit. In the middle seat was a 17-year-old girl, identified in the affidavit as “Victim 1.” After takeoff, the affidavit says Victim 1 asked the person seated by the window if she could take a photograph of the view. Fowler then asked Victim 1 if she could send him the photo, and gave her his phone number, the affidavit goes on.
During the two-hour-plus flight, Fowler tried to make conversation with Victim 1, but she was not interested and shut him down, the affidavit says.
Several times, Victim 1 was forced to physically move Fowler’s hand, which kept creeping over to her seat, according to the affidavit.
As the plane approached Orlando, Victim 1 was asleep underneath a blanket, and had both feet up on her seat, the affidavit continues. Once the aircraft landed, but before the doors were opened, Victim 1 woke up to find Fowler’s hand under her blanket, rubbing her crotch, the affidavit states.
Victim 1 screamed until she got the attention of a flight attendant who immediately brought the teen to the front of the plane. Fowler, for his part, was taken to the rear of the aircraft. Once the plane had taxied to the gate, he was questioned by Orlando police, according to the affidavit.
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“During the interview, Fowler claimed that he reached down to grab Victim 1’s thermos, which had fallen over… and when he came back up his arm touched her leg,” the affidavit states.
Fowler denied touching the girl’s private parts, and maintained he was “not on any medication or alcohol at the time,” the affidavit says.
Officers interviewed Victim 1 as well as the cabin crew at the same time. The FBI, along with a children’s forensic examiner, spoke with her on August 1.
Fowler was charged the same day with abusive sexual contact aboard an aircraft, which carries up to three years in federal prison; and a potential 10-year enhancement for having committed a new crime while a registered sex offender.
The affidavit concludes with a recap of Fowler’s November 2023 conviction, citing details from a probable cause affidavit that says he sexually assaulted a sleeping victim in her home.
Fowler, who the victim told police was “her boyfriend’s step-dad’s brother,” had been staying in the garage on an air mattress, the affidavit states. Her age is unclear.
State court records show Fowler was given a two-year suspended sentence, with credit for time served while awaiting trial, and was sentenced to probation. After an undisclosed violation in 2024, GPS location monitoring was added to Fowler’s probation terms.
In July, a Texas aerospace executive flying American Airlines from Boston to Washington, D.C. was arrested after allegedly masturbating openly while pawing at the passenger seated next to him. (The suspect told police he was “stretching his arms.”) In March, a 55-year-old man was banned permanently from American after his third accusation of mid-flight sexual misconduct. A month before, a traveler sued Alaska Airlines, claiming she had been sexually assaulted by an inebriated passenger.
Last year, the FBI issued an alert about sexual assault aboard commercial aircraft, a crime the bureau said was “on the rise.”
Up next
Man Told Wife to Hold Phone During His Medical Procedure. Then She Allegedly Found Videos of Teen Babysitter in Bathroom
Christopher Collins is charged with nine counts of sexual exploitation of a minor
Liam Quinn
Fri, 16 January 2026 at 5:47 am GMT+7
2 min read
NEED TO KNOW
- Christopher Thomas Collins is charged with sexual exploitation of a minor after investigators said his wife allegedly discovered recordings of a teenage babysitter in their bathroom
- Officers said the wife was holding his phone while he underwent a medical procedure and searched it because she thought he was cheating, local outlets reported
- Police accused Collins of setting up hidden cameras in his home
A Tennessee man who asked his wife to hold his phone while undergoing a medical procedure has been criminally charged after she allegedly found videos of a teenage babysitter in their bathroom, police have said.
Christopher Thomas Collins is charged with nine counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, according to Hamilton County court records.
WTVC, WDEF and Local 3 News reported that Collins was arrested Wednesday, Jan. 14, after his wife reported the alleged secret recordings to authorities.
Citing an arrest report, Local 3 reported that Collins is accused of setting up hidden cameras in the bathroom and recording the teen while she was naked.
WTVC reported that a police affidavit says Collins’ wife had suspected her husband was cheating, so she went through his phone during the medical procedure.
The woman told investigators that after finding the alleged recordings in a hidden folder on his phone, she eventually went to the church where he served as a deacon for guidance, per the outlet. She was reportedly advised to go to the police.
WSET reported that the woman told investigators she first deleted the files, then later took screenshots from the “recently deleted” folder to document what she had found.
She also alleged that Collins initially told her he installed the cameras to look for rats, per the outlet.
According to WDEF, the wife turned over SD cards from the cameras to the police, who claimed they found nine videos of the teen during a subsequent search.
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In a statement to the outlet, Collins’ church, Abba’s House, acknowledged the incident.
“Through the course of a marriage counseling session, Chris Collins’ wife revealed that she had found videos on her husband’s phone of a minor,” the church said of the wife’s allegations, per the outlet. “We immediately reported it to the police and they are handling the situation. We are caring for his wife and kids during this tragic time. Chris Collins had been a member of the church for four years and served as a deacon. He has been removed from that role.”
It is not immediately clear if Collins has entered a plea or retained an attorney. According to court records, he is due back in court on Tuesday, Jan. 20.
Read the original article on People
Up next
Town centre ‘brothel’ slapped with closure order
Jamie Singleton
Thu, 15 January 2026 at 12:00 pm GMT+7
1 min read
A massage parlour suspected of being a brothel in a Wiltshire town centre has been slapped with a closure order following the arrest of three people.
Sakura Therapy Centre on Melksham’s Bank Street is set to be shut for three months, with the notice -dated January 2 – posted on the front of the site stating the order had been obtained at Swindon Magistrates Court.
As previously reported, Officers from Wiltshire Police’s Melksham Neighbourhood Policing Team and CID visited the premises during December as part of a probe into prostitution and money laundering.
Two women were arrested on suspicion of keeping a brothel and a man was arrested on suspicion of using or paying for sexual services from a prostitute.
All three suspects were bailed while enquiries continue.
Wiltshire Police has now confirmed it has secured a partial closure order on the property to prevent any further illegal activity taking place at the site.
The closure order on the front of the business. (Image: Trevor Porter)
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The order, granted by a court, prevents anyone other than individuals named on the order from entering the premises.
Police previously said they will be patrolling the area to prevent any breach of this order.
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A spokesperson for the force said: “Officers have secured a partial closure order on a premises in Melksham as part of an ongoing investigation into prostitution and money laundering.
“Local officers will continue to visit the premises and enforce the order.
“Any person found at the premises, who is not named as having a legitimate reason for being present, will be arrested.”
The December raid came after information was passed to officers by the community.
Up next
Boy, 18, dies and woman ‘stabbed multiple times’ in horrific acts across London
Joseph Reaidi
Thu, 15 January 2026 at 12:30 am GMT+7
1 min read
A boy has died and a woman has been stabbed after brutal acts of violence across London in the space of two days.
The incidents unfolded between last Sunday (January 11) and Monday (January 12) in Feltham and Croydon.
This only includes incidents that London Now is aware of and has reported on.
Information about each incident is from the Metropolitan Police.
Woman rushed to hospital after a stabbing in Croydon
Emergency services were called to Brighton Road, near Old Lodge Lane in Croydon, just before 8.40am on Sunday (January 11).
The woman was found with multiple stab wounds, the Metropolitan Police said.
She is in a stable condition following the incident.
Boy, 18, stabbed to death
An 18-year-old boy was pronounced dead in hospital after being the stabbing on Victoria Road at 5pm Monday (January 12).
It is understood that the boy went by the name Malikhai, however it should be noted that the Metropolitan Police has not confirmed this at the time of publication.
A 16-year-old boy was arrested on suspicion of murder and possession of an offensive weapon on January 12.
Another 16-year-old boy was arrested on suspicion of the same offences today (January 13).
A 19-year-old man was also arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm and possession of an offensive weapon.
The GBH arrest relates to an allegation of assault on one of the 16-year-old boys arrested.
Up next
Pensioner on way to visit wife with dementia killed for his watch
Telegraph reporters
Thu, 15 January 2026 at 1:04 am GMT+7
3 min read
A pensioner was killed for his watch on his way to visit his wife who suffered from dementia, a court heard.
Neil O’Donnell, 83, died a week after he was attacked on May 14 last year when he was visiting his partner of 41 years at a rehabilitation centre in Hall Green, Birmingham.
Tony Griffin, 54, and Wesley McDonnell, 46, who were found guilty of manslaughter at Warwick crown court in November, have been jailed for 15 years. Griffin admitted attempted robbery before they went on trial and McDonnell was convicted of the same offence.https://cf.eip.telegraph.co.uk/store/vid-media/e56dd0c7/fallback/e56dd0c7-mp4-fallback.mp4
Credit: West Midlands Police
Judge Kristina Montgomery KC said the family of Mr O’Donnell, who was “active and independent”, had been caused “profound grief” by the attackers.
A sentencing hearing on Tuesday heard that Griffin approached Mr O’Donnell’s car carrying what the victim thought was a screwdriver. About half an hour earlier, McDonnell had been filmed by CCTV in a Co-op shop looking at Mr O’Donnell’s watch.https://cf.eip.telegraph.co.uk/store/vid-media/7a2920b2/fallback/7a2920b2-mp4-fallback.mp4
Credit: West Midlands Police
Judge Montgomery said: “Wesley McDonnell, you went into that shop and coincidentally crossed paths with Neil O’Donnell. You clearly noticed his age, his physical appearance and the watch on his arm, which appeared to be a Rolex, and that it would be valuable and portable.
“It was there and then you began to form the plan to rob Neil O’Donnell of his watch.”
The judge said Mr O’Donnell shouted for Griffin to get off him and threw punches during the attack shortly after they had followed his car.
She said to Griffin: “In the course of your struggle with him, you grappled his right arm by a twisting motion which caused a significant loss of skin to his arm.”
An infection of his wound later caused his death, the court heard. Judge Montgomery said: “This was a joint enterprise, each of you playing a pivotal role.”
In a statement read to the court, Mr O’Donnell’s daughter said the impact of his death was “immeasurable” and his widow’s dementia had “escalated through grief”.
Griffin and McDonnell, both from Birmingham, had previous convictions dating back decades for offences including burglary, robbery and weapons offences, the court heard.
The judge said to Griffin: “You have never shown any true accountability or remorse for your actions. You have lied and lied in the course of the investigatory stages of this case and in your evidence before the jury.”
‘Offensive’ tattoos and ‘see-through clothing’ can get you kicked off Spirit Airlines flight
Passengers flying Spirit Airlines might need to conceal some tattoos or put on more clothing for their next flight, according to the airline’s updated contract for travelers.
As of January 22, Spirit has updated its contract of carriage, declaring passengers “shall not be permitted to board” or “may be required to leave an aircraft” if they are “barefoot or inadequately clothed, or whose clothing or article, including body art, is lewd, obscene, or offensive in nature.”
It also describes “inadequately clothed” as “see-through clothing, not adequately covered, exposed breasts, buttocks or other private parts.”
Fashion choices have long been a problem for air travelers, as many have been singled out and denied boarding, and in some cases, gone viral for their situations.
Spirit previously had banned barefoot passengers and clothing deemed “lewd, obscene or offensive in nature,” but specified further in its update to the contract.
In October, a woman named Tara Kehidi said she and a friend were asked by a Spirit flight attendant to leave because they were wearing crop tops. The situation has happened on other airlines, too.
In 2019, American Airlines apologized to Latisha “Tisha” Rowe after she said she was humiliated and told she couldn’t fly unless she covered up her strapless romper.
CNN has reached out to Spirit Airlines for further comment.
