Focus Taiwan
Date: 09/03/2020
By: Liu Shih-yi and Evelyn Kao

Taipei, Sept. 3 (CNA) The Taiwan High Court on Thursday upheld a lower court's ruling sentencing a Filipino man to four years in jail for sexually assaulting an American woman while she was on a flight from the United States to Taiwan last year.

The 40-year-old man from the Philippines Kenneth Bolivar Distura was found guilty of forcible sexual intercourse for intentionally sexually touching the woman sitting next to him and forcing her to engage in a sexual act against her will on a flight from Seattle to Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport on Aug. 12, 2019, according to the Taipei District Court.

The district court in March sentenced Distura to four years in prison. After completing the jail term, he will be deported, the district court said.

According to the district court, Distura first chatted with the woman and found she was traveling alone. After she fell asleep, he started to touch her sexually, taking advantage of the lights being turned off during the flight.    [FULL  STORY]