Man Arrested, Placed on No-Fly List After Allegedly Masturbating Four Times on Southwest Flight

A man is facing federal charges after he allegedly exposed himself several times in front of a female passenger during a Southwest Airlines flight from Seattle to Phoenix

Photo: Kevin Dietsch/Getty

A man is facing federal charges after allegedly exposing himself several times on a Southwest flight.

Antonio Sherrodd McGarity was arrested by the Phoenix Police Department after his Southwest Airlines flight 3814 landed at Sky Harbor International Airport on Saturday, according to a criminal complaint obtained by PEOPLE.

During the three-hour flight, McGarity allegedly pulled down his pants and masturbated in front of a female passenger at least four times.

"McGarity was seated in seat 11F and the female witness was seated in seat 11E," the complaint states. "Shortly after taking off, and while the aircraft was in the air, McGarity exposed his penis by pulling down his pants and shorts and began masturbating."

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"At some point during the flight, McGarity fell asleep and the female witness got up and advised the flight crew about the incident," the complaint continues, noting that the woman took photos of McGarity. "She was moved to another seat on the aircraft."

When the flight landed in Phoenix, the woman was questioned by officers from the Phoenix Police Department while McGarity was questioned by the FBI.

McGarity admitted to the actions, telling law enforcement that he knew the woman could see him but claims she put her hands in the air and told him "it really doesn't matter" if he masturbates, which he thought was "kind of kinky," the court documents read.

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McGarity is now facing charges for lewd, indecent or obscene acts on an aircraft. He faces up to 90 days in prison and/or a $500 fine. An attorney for McGarity did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.

Southwest later revealed that McGarity has received a lifetime ban from flying with them following the incident.

"On April 2, crewmembers received a report of inappropriate behavior during a flight from Seattle to Phoenix. Upon learning of the event, the crew immediately responded to the incident and re-seated the reporting passenger for the remainder of the flight," the airline said in a statement to PEOPLE. "The captain also requested that law enforcement meet the aircraft upon arrival. We immediately placed the passenger who exhibited the lewd behavior on our No-Fly List, resulting in a lifetime ban from traveling on Southwest Airlines."