Co-pilot charged with sexually abusing child in East Bay
MARTINEZ A commercial airline co-pilot is facing felony charges related to the sexual abuse of a minor following his arrest over the weekend at San Francisco International Airport according to prosecutors Related Articles Antioch teens charged with murder in Oakland Man charged with murder in alcohol related hit-and-run death of Oakland pedestrian Man charged with sexually abusing East Bay girl he allegedly paid for sex Dog facing euthanization stolen from Oakland Animal Services shelter In secret phone call Delta pilot allegedly admitted to child sex abuse Rustom Bhagwagar of Florida is set to be arraigned Wednesday on charges including engaging in a sexual act with a child years old or younger oral copulation with a child forcible lewd acts upon a child and aggravated sexual assault of a child the Contra Costa County District Attorney s Office stated Tuesday Prosecutors explained a second person -year-old Jennifer Powell has also been charged in a related felony complaint but they did not specify how she is connected to Bhagwagar or the victim The charges in both cases carry terms of years to life in state prison The alleged crimes occurred between and in the county prosecutors declared Detectives opened an study in April after receiving a overview of sex crimes against a child according to the Contra Costa County Sheriff s Office The victim described them she had been abused by the co-pilot several times a week between the ages of to and that her mother was often present during the abuse government revealed Leadership arrested Bhagwagar a co-pilot with Delta Air Lines after he touched down Saturday evening at SFO Powell was taken into custody Tuesday afternoon Our office stands firmly committed to protecting children and holding those who cause harm accountable District Attorney Diana Becton declared in a comment Tuesday Every child deserves to feel safe protected and heard when an injustice like this occurs Becton commented By pursuing these cases vigorously we not only seek justice for casualties but also work to safeguard our entire public from those who would prey on children In a message Delta Air Lines commented the company has zero tolerance for unlawful conduct and vowed to fully cooperate with the research We are appalled the company mentioned adding that the co-pilot had been suspended pending an examination Bhagwagar remains in custody at the Martinez Detention Facility on a million bond Check back for updates
