A former vintner and a salon technician
in the US learned on Wednesday that the cost of allegedly having oral
sex in their seats in front of other passengers on a commercial airline
flight from Medford to Las Vegas in June is $US250 ($A262).
But to former Troon Winery vintner
Christopher Martin, his plea today to a federal misdemeanor in the case
that garnered international attention has cost him much more than that.
“I have made many mistakes in my life,
none greater than this one,” Martin said in a written statement sent
this afternoon to the Mail Tribune. “I have lost my job, my reputation
and damaged the legacy I had worked 10 years to nurture and grow. I will
learn from this and move on to the next chapter in my life.”
Martin, of Las Vegas, and Medford
resident Jessica Stroble each pleaded guilty in absentia today in US
District Court in Las Vegas to a federal misdemeanor charge of
disorderly conduct and each was sentenced to a $US250 fine.
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US Magistrate Judge George Foley Jr.
ordered the fines after accepting pleas from attorneys representing
Martin and Stroble, who were not required to attend today’s hearing.
The pair initially were charged with a federal misdemeanor crime of lewd, indecent and obscene acts on a plane.
An FBI affidavit states that passengers
on the June 21 Allegiant Air flight saw Martin exposing his genitals and
twice joined Stroble in oral sex and other acts despite warnings from
flight attendants.
One of the passengers complained to an
attendant that “this is not the sex education I wanted to give my
teenage sons,” according to the criminal complaint.
Martin and Stroble were asked to stop by
an attendant and did so during the drink and snack service, but later
repeated the sex acts before landing, the affidavit states.
The original charge carried a maximum sentence of up to 90 days in jail and a $US500 fine, according to the complaint.
In his written statement, Martin chided
the Mail Tribune and other media outlets for doing “everything to paint
me in nothing but the worst possible light” amid wide electronic
circulation of their case.
In a follow-up statement, Martin denied
that he and Stroble were exposed to passengers or flight attendants, but
he declined to elaborate on the events of the flight.
Martin said he thought he would have
been exonerated if his case had gone to trial, but that he pleaded
guilty today to put the case behind him and move on.
Martin also apologised to “all those who
have been hurt and offended by my actions,” ranging from his family and
friends to airline passengers, Troon workers and Stroble.
“My actions were clearly inappropriate
and inconsiderate,” Martin wrote. “Seeing and hearing the level of venom
directed at these people has been hardest for me and I am truly sorry
for that.”
Troon spokeswoman Erika Bishop did not return a telephone call today seeking comment.
