A Massachusetts father of four has been convicted of sexually abusing a teenage girl during a commercial flight while his own family sat nearby.
Jonathan Alan Lefman, 48, of Newton, was found guilty Thursday following a three-day jury trial in federal court, prosecutors announced. The verdict came nearly a year after the August 2024 incident aboard a JetBlue flight from Puerto Rico bound for Boston.
Lefman was traveling with his wife and four children when he repeatedly touched a 17-year-old girl seated in front of him, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Massachusetts. He wedged his hand between the back and bottom of her seat to reach her buttocks without consent, prosecutors said during the trial.
The teenager became aware of the abuse when she spotted Lefman’s reflection leaning between the seats on her seatback monitor, officials said. She then managed to photograph his fingers protruding through the gap between the back and bottom of her seat, capturing evidence that would later help secure his conviction.
“The defendant repeatedly sexually abused a minor who was simply trying to travel safely aboard a commercial flight,” U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley said in a statement following the verdict.
Foley continued, “No one should have to fear being sexually assaulted, whether in the air or on the ground. Today’s verdict holds the defendant accountable for his disturbing conduct and sends a clear message that those who prey on vulnerable passengers will face justice.”
The case was prosecuted under the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States, which covers offenses committed aboard aircraft in flight. Lefman was convicted of one count of abusive sexual contact while in that jurisdiction.
The three-day trial presented jurors with the photographic evidence taken by the victim, along with testimony about Lefman’s conduct during the flight. Prosecutors emphasized that the teenager was a vulnerable passenger simply attempting to travel when she was targeted.
Lefman is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 12, 2027.