Child molesters nabbed, thanks to an alert airline passenger

Although the incident happened in the USA, the sheer presence of mind of the passenger concerned is something that all of us could learn. The passenger, a Seattle-based pre-school teacher, informed the plane crew immediately after she oversaw a man texting about sexually exploiting children. Both of them were travelling aboard a Southwest Airlines flight from Seattle, Washington to San Jose, California when a woman seated behind the man saw him sharing illicit messages with someone. 

The 56-year-old man, identified as Michael Keller, was using a smartphone and texting in huge fonts when Keller saw the text and reported to the crew immediately. Police, speaking to the media said, "The content of the text messages was very disturbing to the witness as it involved comments about the sexual exploitation of children."

Police further said that the crew lost no time in intimating the airport police at the Mineta San Jose International Airport. While Keller was detained at the airport, the recipient of the message, a 50-year-old woman Gail Burnworth was also arrested from her home in Tacoma, Washington. Two children, 5 amd 7, were also found in her place in a traumatised state. Keller was booked on two counts of felony attempted child molestation and two counts of solicitation of sex crime. 

Meanwhile, the woman who reported the crime is being called the 'hero'. Speaking to the New York Times, Capt. Mike Edwards, commander of the Seattle Police Department’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force said, "We’re very grateful that she was on that plane. I think the big message and the big takeaway on this is, for all of us, is to pay attention to what’s going on around you. You never know how important it could be."

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