US: Texts on a plane about child molestation lead to two arrests

On a flight from Seattle to San Jose, Calif., on Monday, a woman caught a glimpse of some text messages that alarmed her. A man seated in front of her on the Southwest flight was “texting about sexually molesting young children,” the San Jose Police Department said. The man, identified by police as Michael Kellar, 56, of Tacoma, Wash., was using a large smartphone with enlarged text, making it easier for her to read his messages and take photographs of them. The woman alerted a member of the flight crew, who notified police officers working in the Mineta San Jose International Airport. Kellar was arrested after the plane landed. The woman is a preschool teacher, said Detective Sgt. Brian Spears. “She’s definitely a hero in our eyes,” he said. Kellar was charged with attempted child molestation and solicitation of a sex crime, both felonies. He was arraigned on Thursday and was being held without bail at the Santa Clara County Jail. Police named Gail Burnworth, 50, also a resident of Tacoma, as the person Kellar was suspected of texting. They have also located two children, ages 5 and 7, who may have been victims of sexual abuse.<br/>