A former Delta Air Lines pilot and his ex-girlfriend were convicted in California of repeatedly sexually abusing a young girl over a roughly five-year span, beginning when the child was 7 years old.
Rustom Bhagwagar, of Florida, and Jennifer Spitz Powell, of Walnut Creek in California, allegedly sexually abused Powell’s daughter when they were in a years-long relationship, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
This week, two separate juries found Bhagwagar, 35, and Powell, 46, guilty of eight counts of oral copulation or sexual penetration with a child 10 years old or younger and 12 counts of forcible lewd acts upon a child under the age of 14, the Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office said in a Wednesday, September 30, news release.
“In a rare dual-jury format, the court tried two defendants at once while making sure each jury heard only the evidence that applied to its assigned defendants,” the office said.
At trial, prosecutors presented evidence that Bhagwagar and Powell had sexually abused her daughter from October 17, 2017, to October 16, 2022.
Bhagwagar was arrested in the case after he landed a Delta Air Lines plane at the San Francisco International Airport in July 2025, per the San Francisco Chronicle. Authorities apprehended him in the cockpit of the aircraft and also arrested Powell that same month.
Powell was allegedly aware of Bhagwagar’s repeated sexual abuse against her daughter, and was accused of watching and joining in on the assaults, according to a probable cause statement obtained by KTVU.
Bhagwagar and Powell are both facing a maximum sentence of 230 years to life in prison, the district attorney’s office said. Their upcoming sentencing dates weren’t specified.
“This young survivor showed extraordinary courage by testifying in court and facing the people who used duress to harm her,” Contra Costa County District Attorney Diana Becton said in a statement.
“These verdicts hold both defendants accountable,” Becton added. “I am grateful to our entire team for their dedication in seeking, serving, and doing justice in this case.”
Bhagwagar and Powell are to remain detained at the Martinez Detention Facility ahead of their sentences, according to the district attorney’s office.
If you or someone you know is experiencing child abuse, call or text Child Help Hotline at 1-800-422-4453.
