California district attorney warns against inappropriate pat-downs
November 18th, 2010 - 5:02 pm ICT by ANIWashington, Nov 18 (ANI): A California district attorney has vowed to prosecute airport security screeners who touch travellers inappropriately, following the public outcry over the government’s new pat-down policy.
Steve Wagstaffe, the incoming district attorney in San Mateo County, said that he would charge screeners with sexual battery for complaints of inappropriate touching with sexual or lewd intent.
But if the complaint is simply that a TSA screener went too far with a pat down, then it would not be considered a crime.
“It becomes a crime when someone does that touching, reaches under the blouse and fondles breasts,” Fox News quoted him as saying.
“That’s a crime under California law,” he stated.
If convicted of a misdemeanour, TSA screeners would face up to one year in the county jail; for a felony, which would involve skin-on-skin contact, they would face up to three years in state prison.
Wagstaffe said he has not received a complaint yet and he believes all the attention on airport screening will cause TSA to be more careful.
The head of the Transportation Security Administration, John Pistole, acknowledged that the new pat-downs are more invasive than what travellers were used to in the past.
The “enhanced” pat-downs of airline passengers who opt out of using the high-tech body scanners require screeners to touch travellers’ breasts or genitals. (ANI)
- US woman claims airport pat down was more 'fondling' than 'frisking' - Mar 28, 2011
- Miss USA speaks about her ordeal at the hands of a TSA agent - Apr 28, 2011
- Barack Obama Asserts That The TSA's Pat-Downs Are Invasive But Necessary To Attain Security - Nov 21, 2010
- Ex-Miss USA tears up describing how TSA agent sexually assaulted her - Apr 28, 2011
- Full-body scanner row: US denies checking all travellers - Nov 23, 2010
- Security checks at US airports to get more 'touchy' - Oct 29, 2010
- New security checks at US airports like 'foreplay' - Oct 30, 2010
- Celebrated Humorist, Dave Barry, Subjected To A 'Pat-Down' At The Miami Airport - Nov 17, 2010
- US seeking privacy-security balance over airport security: Robert Gibbs - Nov 23, 2010
- SNL pokes fun at the TSA security procedures with their skit - Nov 23, 2010
- Man strips at Va. Airport checkpoint in protest - Jan 05, 2011
- Traveller claims she was sexually assaulted during US airport pat down - Nov 17, 2010
- US officials face flak over new invasive airport searches - Aug 31, 2010
- Cancer survivor forced to show prosthetic boob during US airport pat-down - Nov 20, 2010
- Why people hate new TSA screenings - Nov 24, 2010
Tags: airline passengers, airport security screeners, blouse, body scanners, breasts, california district attorney, california law, county jail, downs washington, fox news, misdemeanour, pistole, public outcry, san mateo county, sexual battery, skin on skin, state prison, transportation security administration, travellers, tsa screener
