Passenger Arrested After Sleep‑State Attack on Flight to Miami
A 48‑year‑old French national, Guillaume Sebastien Roger Mattler, was arraigned on a federal charge of abusive sexual contact after an alleged assault on Swiss International Air Lines Flight LX64 from Zurich to Miami. The incident occurred during the flight’s final segment when Mattler and the 29‑year‑old female passenger were seated in first‑class.
According to the complaint filed by the FBI, two other passengers observed Mattler touch the woman while she slept. One passenger recorded the act on his phone, and a friend notified a flight attendant. The attendant found Mattler in a compromising position over the woman’s clothing and removed him to a coach seat.
When investigators interviewed Mattler, he initially denied any wrongdoing, later acknowledging inappropriate contact and claiming he had removed photos from his phone before law enforcement arrived. He also offered a note with a message and his flight details to the victim.
Mattler was first brought before a Miami federal court on Wednesday and is scheduled for a pre‑trial detention hearing on Monday. Prosecutors seek to detain him to mitigate flight risk and potential community danger. He is currently held at the Federal Detention Center in downtown Miami.