Plane passenger who exposed 'pepperminty’ genitals cleared of wrongdoing

From Provo, Utah:

Thursday, a judge found the man not guilty, saying federal attorneys failed to prove that he meant to break the law.

The man’s troubles began Nov. 17, 2012, when according to documents he sat in 25F, a middle seat between two women. The documents say the woman in the window seat saw the man cover his lap with a coat and "continually moving his arm under the coat."

As the flight neared Salt Lake City, the woman leaned forward to put away her glasses and saw that the man was "holding his exposed penis in his right hand." She confronted the man, who apologized.

The woman reported the incident to police when the plane landed.

During an interview, the man later told investigators he had inadvertently put peppermint oil on his genitals. He explained to police that he had a headache before the flight but didn’t believe in using medication. Instead, he applied the peppermint oils to his head in a Minneapolis airport bathroom. While using the bathroom, the oils got on his genitals, which began to burn and feel irritated during the flight.