(Image source from: India.com)

An Indian pilot, working with Indian carries to operate flights from New Delhi to the United States was deplaned and deported over charges of downloading child pornography.

The United States law authorities arrested Mumbai-based pilot in front of passengers soon after he landed in San Francisco.

The pilot who is in his fifties works as a first officer with an Indian carrier and oftentimes operated flights to the U.S. He was arrested earlier this week following which his passport was seized, his visa was canceled and he was put back on a flight to Delhi, according to a source cited in Times of India.

The source added that the pilot won’t be able to visit the U.S once again. It was found that the said pilot had been under the scanner of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for accessing and downloading child pornography.

The agency had as well monitored his internet activity and usage to gather evidence while his stay in the U.S. during layovers. According to the report, the FBI has even sent evidence to the Indian authorities in the form of a sealed written record.

As per the U.S. federal law, viewing or circulating child porn is a penal offense. If prosecuted, the pilot could be charged by the domestic authorities under the stringent provisions of the Information Technology Act and the Prevention of Children From Sexual Offenses (POSCO) Act.

By Sowmya Sangam