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Former Delta Pilot, Walnut Creek Mom Convicted of Sexually Abusing Her Daughter
Jurors found that the abuse lasted nearly five years and that Powell knew of it, with both defendants facing up to 230 years to life.
- On Monday and Tuesday, two separate juries convicted former Delta Air Lines pilot Rustom Bhagwagar and Walnut Creek resident Jennifer Spitz Powell of sexually abusing Powell's young daughter over a five-year period.
- Prosecutors presented evidence that the abuse began in October 2017, when the victim was 7, and continued through October 16, 2022, while the defendants maintained a years-long relationship.
- The court utilized a rare dual-jury format to try both defendants simultaneously, convicting each on eight counts of abuse against a child under 10 and 12 counts of forcible lewd acts against a child under 14.
- Contra Costa County District Attorney Diana Becton praised the survivor's "extraordinary courage" in testifying, as both defendants face a maximum sentence of 230 years to life in state prison.
- Both defendants remain in custody at the Martinez Detention Facility pending sentencing, following Bhagwagar's arrest in July 2025 at San Francisco International Airport.
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Former Delta Pilot, Ex-Girlfriend Convicted of Sexually Abusing Her Daughter For 5 Years
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 […]
·Englewood Cliffs, United States
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources11
Leaning Left2Leaning Right0Center4Last UpdatedBias Distribution67% Center
Bias Distribution
- 67% of the sources are Center
67% Center
L 33%
C 67%
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