PROVIDENCE, R.I. — A Newport man accused of unwanted touching of a teenage passenger seated next to him on a plane bound for Rhode Island pleaded guilty Wednesday in federal court to a single count of simple assault.
James Brugman, 54, admitted the misdemeanor count in U.S. District Court in Providence. The charge stems from a Nov. 17, 2025, flight from Tampa, where the teen was assigned the seat beside him for the trip north to the state’s main airport in Warwick.
Brugman was indicted on July 22. As part of his plea agreement with federal prosecutors, a more serious count of abusive sexual contact goes away. Federal prosecutors in Rhode Island described the case as inappropriate conduct involving a minor. The girl was 16 at the time.
An affidavit from a federal air marshal said Brugman repeatedly touched the girl’s hand, leg and thigh during the flight, grabbed her hand and kissed it, and kept asking about her age and her sexual history even after she told him more than once that she was 16. The affidavit also said he showed her a sexually explicit picture on his phone and offered her a ride once the plane landed.
The girl broke down after meeting her mother at the airport and told her what had happened, according to the filing. The Federal Air Marshal Service and the FBI investigated the case, which is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the state. Investigators identified Brugman by subpoenaing the airline’s records.
Brugman is due back in federal court in Providence for sentencing on Jan. 21, 2027.
Section: More Newport RI crime news
Filed under: Newport RI Crime News
