Qantas flight attendant accused of exposing himself to a female co-worker charged with committing indecent act

A flight attendant accused of exposing himself to a female co-worker on a domestic flight has been charged with committing an indecent act.

A Qantas flight attendant accused of exposing himself to a female co-worker on a domestic flight has been charged with committing an indecent act.

A Qantas flight attendant accused of exposing himself to a female co-worker on a domestic flight has been charged with committing an indecent act.

The 54-year-old man, from NSW, is expected to face Perth Magistrates Court via video-link from Sydney on Tuesday, in a case the Australian Federal Police says “should serve as a warning” about illegal behaviour in the air.

Both the man and woman were on duty as flight attendants on a trip from Perth to Melbourne in April last year when he allegedly committed the offence.

The AFP said in a statement the incident had caused the woman “significant distress”.

“The woman allegedly sent texts during the flight to a friend about the man’s alleged behaviour and her distress,” the AFP said.

“She first reported the allegations to police after returning to Perth a few days later.”

The AFP charged the man in late 2019 after working with the Office of the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions to prepare a brief of evidence.

The man has been charged with one count of committing an act of indecency, contrary to section 15(1) of the Crimes (Aviation) Act 1991 (Cth) and section 60(1) of the Crimes Act 1900 (ACT).

The maximum penalty for the offence is seven years’ imprisonment.

He first faced court in March, before the case was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

AFP Senior Constable Steve Proud said unwanted attention could be particularly distressing in the confined space of a plane in flight.

There was “no excuse for these actions on an aircraft of anywhere else”, Constable Proud said.

“This case should serve as a warning to people that illegal behaviour in the air will be prosecuted on the ground,” he said.

A Qantas spokesman said the man no longer worked at the airline.

“As soon as this incident was reported we immediately conducted a workplace investigation and terminated his employment,” the spokesman said.

“We have zero tolerance for any form of harassment. Everyone has the right to feel safe and respected when they come to work.”