Man arrested for groping woman on US flight 'defends actions by claiming Donald Trump said it was OK'

A man accused of groping a woman while she was asleep on a flight allegedly tried to excuse his behaviour by saying Donald Trump "said it was OK”.

Bruce Alexander is said to have told an FBI officer after he was arrested: “The president of the United States says it’s OK to grab women by their private parts.”

In 2016, before the presidential election, a lewd 2005 tape was released of Mr Trump in which he said: ““Grab them by the p****. You can do anything.”

Alexander, 49, from Florida, has been charged with abusive sexual contact after the woman's breast was groped on a Southwest Airlines flight from Albuquerque to Houston.

Alexander was said to have been sat directly behind the victim during Sunday’s flight, with both in window seats.

In a criminal complaint report filed on Monday, FBI special agent Michael Hopkins said she had fallen asleep 15 to 20 minutes into the flight when she was woken by the touch of fingers on her bra line.

She assumed this was an accident and fell back asleep, special agent Hopkins said. However, she woke up again 30 minutes later to find fingers groping her breast.

He said: “According to [the victim] after she felt the second touch, she rose from her seat, turned around and told the passenger behind her that she didn’t know why he thought it was OK and he needed to stop.” The woman was then re-seated by a crew member.

“After being placed in handcuffs,” special agent Hopkins continued, “Alexander asked what the sentence was for the charge he was being arrested for.

“Later, in the vehicle, Alexander states that the president of the United States says it’s OK to grab women by their private parts.”

Alexander remains in custody. The US Attorney’s Office said a conviction for abusive sexual contact carries a maximum penalty of two years’ imprisonment and a $250,000 fine.