Originally Posted by mn311601

Hello,

I've only flown one round trip in my life and it was before 9/11, but like all of you I'm outraged at what the TSA and the government are doing at airports across the country. Unfortunately, the vast majority of the public doesn't fly that much and gets their opinions from 24/hr news stations, having no thoughts of their own.

I have a question about a scenario for you all that I was thinking about. According to 18 U.S.C. § 2242, sexual abuse is defined as the following:

18 USC Sec. 2242 02/01/2010

-EXPCITE-
TITLE 18 - CRIMES AND CRIMINAL PROCEDURE
PART I - CRIMES
CHAPTER 109A - SEXUAL ABUSE

-HEAD-
Sec. 2242. Sexual abuse

-STATUTE-
Whoever, in the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of
the United States or in a Federal prison, or in any prison,
institution, or facility in which persons are held in custody by
direction of or pursuant to a contract or agreement with the head
of any Federal department or agency, knowingly -
(1) causes another person to engage in a sexual act by
threatening or placing that other person in fear (other than by
threatening or placing that other person in fear that any person
will be subjected to death, serious bodily injury, or
kidnapping); or
(2) engages in a sexual act with another person if that other
person is -
(A) incapable of appraising the nature of the conduct; or
(B) physically incapable of declining participation in, or
communicating unwillingness to engage in, that sexual act;

or attempts to do so, shall be fined under this title and
imprisoned for any term of years or for life.


What would happen if someone had 911 on speed dial and called them to report a sexual assault in progress while receiving a TSA pat down? The police would have to respond and I'm sure the TSA wouldn't be happy and would try to make your life miserable, but would anything come of the charges you would file?

From what I've read on here and other places on the internet, the TSA's position is that buying a ticket is an agreement to submit to a search of your person prior to getting on an airplane. This section of the USC would seem to make what the TSA is doing illegal, government mandate or not.