Seattle City Wire

A 72-year-old Mercer Island, Washington man was convicted Friday in U.S. District Court in Seattle of Attempted Sexual Abuse of a Minor in Special Aircraft Jurisdiction and Abusive Sexual Contact in Special Aircraft Jurisdiction, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Munir Walji was convicted following a four-day jury trial. Jurors deliberated for about five hours before reaching the guilty verdicts. U.S. District Judge Tana Lin scheduled sentencing for December 11, 2024.

According to records in the case and testimony at trial, on November 10, 2021, Walji was seated in the aisle seat next to the 15-year-old victim on a Delta Air Lines flight from Atlanta to Seattle. The victim’s mother was in the window seat. Initially, the three engaged in small talk as they settled in for the flight. The mother and victim both closed their eyes to sleep.

As the flight neared arrival in Seattle, the victim felt a hand on her leg, waking her. She moved away from Walji and tried to go back to sleep. But the touching became more aggressive with Walji rubbing her thigh and then unbuckling her seatbelt and reaching inside the waistband of her pants and underwear. The victim said something at that point that caused Walji to stop, and she awakened her mother.

A flight attendant responded to the row when the mother pushed the call button. Eventually, flight attendants moved the mother and victim to a different row. Law enforcement was notified, and Walji was arrested upon arrival in Seattle.

In closing argument, Special Assistant United States Attorney Laura Harmon told jurors “Mr. Walji rubbed his DNA into the crotch of her pants and shoved his hand inside of her underwear.”

Sexual Abuse of a Minor in Special Aircraft Jurisdiction is punishable by up to 15 years in prison and Abusive Sexual Contact in Special Aircraft Jurisdiction is punishable by up to two years in prison. The actual sentence will be determined by Judge Lin after considering sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brian Wynne and Special Assistant United States Attorney Laura Harmon. Ms. Harmon is a Senior King County Deputy Prosecutor specially designated to prosecute sex crimes in federal court.