Delta pilot, ex-girlfriend plead not guilty to dozens of child sex abuse charges

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — A Delta Air Lines pilot and his ex-girlfriend pleaded not guilty in Contra Costa County court Tuesday to dozens of child sex abuse charges.

Pilot Rustom Bhagwagar, 34, and Jennifer Michelle Spitz Powell, 45, were ordered to return to court on August 29 for a preliminary hearing. Their attorneys declined to waive the co-defendants’ rights to a speedy trial.

Bhagwagar and Powell are accused of sexually assaulting a girl who was less than 10 years old. All of the alleged crimes were committed in Contra Costa County between 2017 and 2023, according to court documents.

The pilot lived in Florida up until his arrest. Powell is a Contra Costa County resident.

“Due to the victim’s age and the nature of the allegations, the victim will not be named by the District Attorney’s Office in order to protect her identity,” the District Attorney’s Office wrote.

On July 26, Bhagwagar was arrested in a cockpit moments after he landed a Delta Air Lines plane at San Francisco International Airport. Shocked passengers watched as Department of Homeland Security agents and deputies with the Contra Costa Sheriff’s Office hauled the pilot away.

Powell was arrested on July 29.

Prosecutors charged the former couple with 24 felony counts, including oral copulation or sexual penetration with a child 10 years or younger, aggravated sexual assault of a child, and forcible lewd acts upon a child.

District Attorney Diana Becton previously said, “Every child deserves to feel safe, protected, and heard when an injustice like this occurs. Our office stands firmly committed to protecting children and holding those who cause harm accountable.”

The pilot is currently locked in Martinez Detention Facility with $15 million bail.

If convicted, Bhagwagar and Powell will face 15 years to life in state prison.