A 38-year-old man became so enraged with being subjected to a pat down search by TSA officers at Indianapolis International Airport that he stripped naked and rubbed his underwear in the face of one of the security officers.
George Stevens of South Carolina has landed himself in federal prison for the next two and a half years for the lewd act after he pleaded guilty to interference with security screening personnel and assault of a federal officer.
The incident occurred back in July 2023 when Stevens triggered an alarm during a body scan at Checkpoint A of the Indianapolis International Airport, which indicated that he required additional screening of the chest, groin, and buttocks.
Prosecutors alleged that Stevens initially complied with the requirement for a pat down search by a TSA officer, which started with his chest. But when the officer began to pat down his groin, Stevens flipped and started calling the officer a “freak.”
Appearing intoxicated, Stevens objected to the search, repeatedly telling the officers that he didn’t have anything on him and just wanted to get home before suddenly pulling down his pants and underwear and exposing his genitals to the entire TSA checkpoint.
Just as the police arrived, Stevens continued to strip naked, removing his jeans and underwear and forcibly pressing them into the face of a TSA supervisor who had been called to assist with Stevens’ erratic behavior.
At this point, Stevens then removed his socks so that he was now standing stark naked in the middle of the TSA checkpoint as he “began advancing towards the supervisor.”
At this point, Stevens was placed under arrest and taken out of view of the traveling public, including families and young children who had witnessed his lewd act.
Following his sentencing earlier this week, it was revealed that Stevens had an extensive criminal history, including multiple offenses of domestic violence and firearms offenses.
“Let this message be heard far and wide; the lewd and violent behavior towards security staff demonstrated by Mr. Stevens in this case will not be tolerated in this district, and it will be prosecuted to the fullest extent,” commented John E. Childress, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana.
Stevens was sentenced to a total of 33 months in federal prison,n which will be followed by three years of supervised release.
Shoving underwear in the TSA’s face is very bad judgment. Instead, stripping down to underwear proves a point and can be considered “helping” out. Israeli security once asked me to unbuckle my pants so I went even further, asking if they wanted me to look inside my shoe and would like me to take off my shirt. They said “no” and ended the search.
Yehhhh he overreacted and took it too far. That pushing underwear in someone’s face is close to, if not outright, assault.
A single act of terrorism on a flight is one too many; hence the checks, pat-downs, scans and security checks. We must never forget 9/11.