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Kristy Crampton, a passenger on an Allegiant Airlines flight, was arrested on Monday (May 26) after allegedly assaulting a child who called her "fat" and "Miss Piggy." The incident occurred on a flight from Sanford-Orlando International Airport in Florida to Hagerstown, Maryland. According to the Sanford Airport Police, Crampton, who was part of a group returning from a Disney World trip, began hitting the child after he made derogatory remarks about her size.
Witnesses reported that Crampton used her fist and a water bottle to strike the child and even slammed his head against the airplane window. The child attempted to shield himself from the blows by covering his head. The pilot called for police assistance, leading to Crampton's arrest at the gate.
Crampton claimed the child was "very rude" and "disrespectful" during the trip, and she initially took away his phone before resorting to physical violence when he pushed her off the armrest twice. However, a witness told police, "The woman was not correcting the child; she was abusing him."
Crampton was charged with felony child abuse and appeared in Seminole County court on Tuesday (May 27), where she was released on a $10,000 bond. She was ordered to have no contact with the child. The child's family did not provide statements to the police, and the exact nature of the relationship between Crampton and the child remains unclear.
Anyone who suspects child abuse can call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or visit www.childhelp.org for confidential support available 24/7.