Bail Proposed for North Bergen Man Indicted on In-Flight Sex Abuse Charge

A judge is proposing $500,000 bail and home confinement for a New Jersey man accused of sexually abusing a sleeping woman seated next to him on a cross-country flight.

The government is appealing the proposed bail package for

of North Bergen. It was set by a federal magistrate Friday in Newark.

Aksal was indicted on the sex abuse charge in August. Prosecutors say the woman on an Aug. 20 flight from Phoenix to Newark awoke to find Aksal's hands inside her clothing. Aksal has denied through his attorney that he abused the woman.

The government doesn't want Aksal to be granted bail, arguing he is a flight risk as a Turkish-born U.S. citizen.

The appeal is scheduled to be heard Monday.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)