A French man has been accused of sexually assaulting a sleeping female passenger on a flight to Miami, later attempting to pass her a disturbing love note. Guillaume Sebastien Roger Mattler, 48, allegedly targeted a 29-year-old woman on Swiss International Air Lines flight LX64 from Zurich to Miami on Tuesday, according to a criminal complaint obtained by Daily Mail.
Incident Details
Mattler was seated next to the woman, a stranger, in the first-class cabin. At least three witnesses, including a flight attendant, observed him inappropriately touching his sleeping seatmate. One witness reported seeing the pair exchange pleasantries before the woman turned away, curled up, and fell asleep. The same witness then saw Mattler touch the victim's lower back, seemingly attempting to make it appear accidental. When she did not wake, he continued touching her, keeping his hand in place for an extended period.
Alarmed, the witness alerted a friend, recorded the touching, and notified a flight attendant. A second witness described Mattler moving his hand in a "submarine" motion, trying to get it under the victim's clothing or between her legs.
Flight Attendant Intervention
The flight attendant checked ticket information to determine if the pair knew each other. Concluding they did not, as tickets were purchased separately, she approached the victim's seat and saw Mattler with his hand on the woman's crotch, over her jeans, making a scooping or rubbing motion. When questioned, Mattler could not provide any information about his seatmate. Crew members moved him to economy class, and he complied. They then woke the victim, who began crying and confirmed she did not know Mattler.
The Creepy Note
Later, when Mattler was brought back to his original seat to retrieve his belongings, he allegedly tried to pass a note to the woman. The note read: "You look beautiful when you are sleeping."
Investigation and Charges
After the flight landed, authorities interviewed Mattler. He initially denied any physical contact but later admitted to touching the woman when presented with witness accounts and video evidence. He claimed he "did not think it was such a big deal." Mattler described touching her lower back and upper buttocks, and when questioned about touching her crotch, he said he "touched whatever he could reach from across the arm-rest." He added that his initial intention was to obtain her phone number and give her his. He then admitted to trying to pass the note written on his business card.
Mattler faces one count of abusive sexual conduct and is currently in federal custody at the Federal Detention Center in Miami.
