Couple charged with performing sex acts on flight to Vegas

An Oregon couple is facing federal indecency charges after they are alleged to have performed sexual acts on a Las Vegas-bound flight in June.

According to U.S. District Court documents filed Tuesday in Las Vegas, Christopher Martin and Jessica Stroble, 33, were charged with lewd, indecent and obscene acts on an airplane stemming from a June 21 Allegiant Air flight from Medford, Ore., to Las Vegas.

According to initial witness statements in the documents, the in-flight action started shortly after take-off of the approximately 90-minute flight. As the plane was in its ascent, at least two passengers saw Stroble, sitting next to the window seat, performing oral sex on Martin, who was in the window seat of the 16th aisle, the documents said.

According to one witness, “the male passenger had his hand on the back of the female’s neck and ‘was in his own world,’” the documents said.

Another witness told federal agents that the woman then wiped her mouth and the man put his hand down her pants and appeared to be stimulating her.

After the plane reached its cruising altitude and food and beverages had been served, witnesses again saw the woman performing oral sex on the man.

By then, the fellow passengers had enough and reported what they were seeing to a flight attendant.

“This is not the sex education I wanted to give my teenage sons,” one passenger told the flight attendant.

The couple stopped after being approached twice by flight attendants, the document said.

When the flight touched down at McCarran International Airport, Martin and Stroble were escorted off the plane and questioned by Las Vegas police.

Martin’s attorney is urging the public not to jump to conclusions about the case.

“People are susceptible to various points of perception,” said attorney Larry Hill. “But until they’re substantiated in a court of law, it’s a mere statement based on the perception of witnesses.”

Christopher Martin is listed as the owner of Troon Vineyard on the vineyard’s website. As of Sunday afternoon, Martin’s name, title and picture were removed from the website.

According to a statement on Troon Vineyard’s Facebook site posted Sunday evenining, Martin has taken an “indefinite leave of absence” from the company.

If convicted, Martin and Stroble could each face up to 90 days in jail, a $500 fine or both, the documents said.

Martin’s initial arraignment is scheduled for Aug. 28 at 3 p.m.

Contact reporter Colton Lochhead at clochhead@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4638. Follow him on Twitter @clochhead44.