A former California Highway Patrol captain will not serve jail time after admitting to exposing himself and sexually touching flight attendants aboard a JetBlue flight last year.
Dennis Woodbury, 50, will instead receive three years of probation after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor count of simple assault on an aircraft. U.S. District Judge Percy Anderson ordered Woodbury to complete 100 hours of community service and undergo mental health and substance abuse treatment and testing, according to court records.
“That the defendant was once in a position of public trust and committed these acts is disturbing and should be taken seriously,” Assistant U.S. Atty. Brenda Galvan wrote in a sentencing memorandum.
Woodbury had previously been dismissed from the CHP after serving in the San Gabriel Valley, the U.S. attorney’s office said in a news release.
He was initially arrested on a more serious felony charge of abusive sexual contact within federal jurisdiction but was allowed to plead to a lesser charge of simple assault under a plea agreement accepted by the court in October.
The U.S. attorney’s office argued that a sentence of 90 days in custody “reflects the seriousness of the offense given the defendant’s history,” according to the memorandum.
The victims, two male flight attendants, testified that Woodbury’s actions left them fearful for their safety and disrupted their ability to do their jobs during a cross-country flight in April 2025, according to prosecutors.
On the flight, Woodbury downed a bottle of Prosecco and showed one flight attendant a pornographic picture, according to court records.
Woodbury then suggested the two men go on a cruise together.
“When [the attendant] demonstrated how the plane’s oxygen masks worked, he saw Woodbury looking at him and [making] a hand-pumping motion,” the criminal complaint states.
Shortly after, he slapped an attendant’s butt and yelled, “I love you.” The incident prompted flight staff to swap sections on the plane, but Woodbury’s behavior persisted.
He walked to the plane’s front galley, pulled down his pants and exposed himself to the second flight attendant. After he was urged to take his seat, Woodbury circled back to the front of the plane, demanded wine and exposed himself again.
The government said the incident compromised the attendants’ ability to perform safety-critical duties during the flight. In a victim impact statement, one flight attendant said Woodbury’s conduct caused “significant emotional, professional and reputational” harm.
“No one should have to feel threatened merely for doing their job,” prosecutors wrote.
Despite those arguments, the court declined to impose a jail sentence.
Anderson also waived a $2,000 fine proposed by prosecutors, citing Woodbury’s financial circumstances, and ordered him to pay a mandatory $10 special assessment, according to the judgment.
