Anne Dowling from Colorado, is suing United Airlines and Monte Wedl (above) claiming she was sexually assaulted by Wedl during her flight to San Francisco from Hong Kong in 2016

A Colorado woman is suing United Airlines for failing to protect her from a drunken passenger who allegedly molested her on a long haul flight after telling cabin crew he was 'horny', DailyMail.com can reveal.

Anne Dowling says she fled her business class seat when she awoke to find Monte Wedl rubbing her crotch and masturbating under a 'rug' during a flight from Hong Kong to San Francisco.

She says she reported 47-year-old Wedl to a flight attendant but was told to resolve the incident by returning to her seat to 'go talk' to her attacker, according to papers filed as part of a civil suit in Colorado District Court.

Cabin crew eventually moved Dowling to another seat further along the same row, however Wedl - a veteran freight pilot with FedEx - continued to 'torment' her as she got off the flight, it's alleged.

Dowling is seeking at least $75,000 in damages from United and Wedl, claiming she was diagnosed with PTSD after the alleged July 2016 attack which caused her 'severe emotional distress.'

A criminal assault complaint was filed against Wedl On December 5, 2016 at the District Court for the Northern District of California but on June 7 the following year he was acquitted of all charges.

Neither Wedl nor Dowling responded to DailyMail.com's requests for comment.

A spokeswoman for United told DailyMail.com: 'We can't comment on this case because of pending litigation, but safety is our top priority and we're always looking for more we can do to ensure the safety and security of the hundreds of thousands of people who fly United every day.'

FedEx said in a statement: 'Wedl has not flown for the company since we were first made aware of these allegations. He is no longer an employee.'

The two travelers ended up sitting side by side when United upgraded Dowling from economy to business class on the 13-hour overnight flight to San Francisco International Airport.

Wedl, an experienced pilot, is alleged to have drunk at least three or four vodka sodas on the flight and had told attendants that he had been away from home for two months and was 'horny'

Flight attendants dimmed the lights several hours into the flight and Dowling reclined her seat and went to sleep.

United employees served Wedl at least three or four vodka sodas, which he consumed along with the prescription sleep medication Ambien, according to the suit.

The father-of-one is then alleged to have 'got out of his seat and approached flight attendant Eva Yu and told her he had been away from home for two months, he missed his wife, and he is 'horny.'

Wedl, who lived in Hong Kong at the time but now resides in Memphis, Tennessee, was ordered to return his seat, the suit says.

Dowling says she awoke to find Wedl's hand on the back of her leg near her buttock. She removed his hand and fell back asleep.

She then awoke a second time to find his 'hand rubbing her thigh, grabbing her butt, and attempting to reach into her pants'. 'She cried 'stop' and he withdrew his hand from her body. She asked him what he was doing, and he creepily smiled at her in response,' the complaint alleges.

Dowling says she was woken a third time to find Wedl's hand running up her thigh. This time he began rubbing her vagina through her clothes while 'rapidly masturbating underneath his blanket.'

'Dowling shot out of her seat in shock when she realized what was happening and told Wedl to stop,' the filing says.

Wedl and his wife Heather have been married for the past 18 years and they have a young daughter

When she gathered up her belongings so she could ask for a different seat Wedl is alleged to have said words to the effect of 'I think you're horny and I'm horny too.'

'Dowling got out of her seat, approached a United flight attendant, and asked to move seats because of the assault. The flight attendant told Dowling there were no open seats on the plane,' the suit says.

'Dowling persisted in her request, and the flight attendant suggested that Dowling go talk to Wedl. Dowling declined to speak with the man who had just sexually assaulted her.'

Frustrated with the flight attendant's response, Dowling spoke with a United purser who is said to have told her 'this is not okay, but I'm not shocked'.

The purser eventually allowed Dowling to move from seat 8D to seat 8G for the remainder of the flight, although she was still in the same row as Wedl in 8C, who continued to pester her after they landed on the morning of July 9.

'In a thinly veiled attempt to minimize, disregard, and ignore the assault, Wedl continued his torment of Dowling by approaching her as she was leaving the plane and asked her why she moved seats.

'Dowling stated it was obviously because he had sexually assaulted her,' the suit adds.

Dowling boarded a connecting flight to return to her home in Denver, Colorado and the next day reported her ordeal to United, the San Francisco Police Department and the FBI.

A criminal assault complaint was filed against Wedl On December 5, 2016 at the District Court for the Northern District of California but on June 7 the following year he was acquitted of all charges.

Dowling filed her civil suit last week, however, accusing him of initiating 'harmful and offensive contact' with her.

She is also holding United accountable under the terms of Montreal Convention, a multilateral treaty that renders airlines liable for injuries suffered by passengers because of negligence.

Dowling accuses United of serving Wedl with excessive alcohol, taking no precautionary measures after he exhibited 'inappropriate, sexualized behavior' and of doing nothing to deter or prevent sex attacks on flights.

She suffered 'shock, emotional distress, embarrassment, mortification, anxiety, anguish, loss of enjoyment of life, loss of past and future income, loss of past and future medical expenses, and further injuries and damages,' the suit claims.

It adds that Dowling was diagnosed with PTSD and has undergone counselling since June 2017 because of sleeplessness, nightmares and anxiety.

Wedl's social media accounts say the Minnesota native worked for FedEx for 17 years after graduating from the University of North Dakota with a degree in Airway Science and Aircraft Systems Management.

He describes himself as an experienced pilot who has flown everything from wide-body Boeing 767s to Saab 340 turboprops.

Wedl and his wife Heather have been married for the past 18 years and they have a young daughter.

He previously played left wing for the Typhoon Goons in the Hong Kong Inline Hockey League.

United Airlines has suffered a slew of lawsuits and damaging PR incidents in the past couple years, most notably when 69-year-old Kentucky doctor, David Dao, was infamously dragged from an overbooked flight in April 2017.

In March of this year the airline was forced to apologize after a French bulldog named Kokito suffocated during a flight after a crew member allegedly ordered the pet's owner to store it in an overhead compartment.