‘It was predatory’: Man sentenced for sexually assaulting sleeping teen on flight to Seattle

A 29-year-old Deering, Alaska man was sentenced to 18 months in prison on Wednesday for sexually assaulting a 17-year-old girl while she slept aboard an Alaska Airlines flight arriving in Seattle.

Trayton C. Ballot was arrested on January 15, 2025, after the flight, and was later convicted by a jury on September 10, 2025, following a two-day jury trial, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced via a news release Wednesday.

“The Western District of Washington has received a significant number of reported sexual assaults on aircraft in the last several years,” First Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd stated via the news release. “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.”

Court records detail sexual assault aboard Alaska Airlines flight

The 17-year-old victim was flying with her mother and a friend on an overnight flight from Anchorage to Seattle, according to records filed in the case.

Ballot was located in the middle seat in a row near the back of the plane, and the victim was seated in the window seat beside Ballot. Ballot appeared to be asleep, but soon moved his hand onto the victim’s inner thigh and began to rub it.

The victim was asleep, but woke up to Ballot touching her, and removed his hand. Ballot moved his hand onto the girl’s inner thigh two more times, forcing her to remove his hand again each time.

After the third instance, the victim lowered her tray table and wedged a stuffed animal underneath it to protect her lap from Ballot. Despite the efforts, Ballot moved his hand under the armrest and attempted to place it over the victim’s thigh once more.

The victim pressed down on the stuffed animal to stop the assault, and Ballot ultimately removed his hand.

The 17-year-old girl typed into her phone that the man seated beside her had touched her. The victim showed the message to her mother in the row behind her, and the mother alerted the flight attendants, who moved the victim to a different seat.

Ballot was taken into custody as the plane arrived at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.

Speaking in court, the victim stated that she was “trapped in a small place where I could not defend myself. It was predatory — attacking me while I was asleep.”

Prosecutors highlight vulnerability of air travel

While prosecutors asked for a two-year prison sentence, they noted the unique qualities of air travel made the victim especially vulnerable to the assault.

“Sexual assaults on airplanes are a distressingly prevalent risk of modern airline travel,” prosecutors stated. “In several ways, a plane is a uniquely vulnerable environment: passengers are often seated in close proximity to strangers, with little room and few options for removing themselves from unwanted situations; passengers regularly attempt to sleep on planes while sitting next to unknown persons; and outside of a passenger’s immediate neighbors, there is limited visibility and a low likelihood of witnesses, particularly when cabin lights are dimmed.”

U.S. District Judge John H. Chun ordered that Ballot complete 10 years of supervised release following his prison sentence.

“This is a serious and scary crime with lasting consequences for the victim,” Chun said.

W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office, applauded the victim’s bravery and urged other victims and witnesses of abuse on an airline to promptly report each incident.

“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,” Herrington said. “Sexual misconduct aboard aircraft is a federal crime, one that 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.”

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