Video shows agonising TSA pat-down - as woman sobs in 'sexual violation' at hands of TSA agent



A traveller's sobs were left ignored this weekend, as she was subjected to an invasive pat-down despite her cries - in another blow to the TSA.

A video posted to YouTube captures the weeping woman’s ordeal during the security checkpoint at an airport in Madison, Wisconsin.

Jim Hoft, who runs the political blog Gateway Pundit, posted the video on the site, as well as YouTube yesterday.

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Shaken: The woman, who is not identified, can be heard sobbing as she's subjected to an invasive pat-down by a TSA agent

Mr Hoft wrote: 'This morning at a Midwest airport I witnessed this poor woman suffering through this horrible sexual violation'.

It's the latest in a long line of disturbing behaviour during security checkpoints.

Loud sobs can be heard as the woman, wearing a pink sweater, is patted down by a female TSA agent.

The woman’s hands are shaking as the agent moves her hands down the woman’s legs.

The woman is then left alone, and can be seen hunching over, her arms crossed across her body in humiliation.

In his blog , Hoft raises the notion that the woman may be experiencing a post-traumatic stress episode.

Tense moment: The incident is the latest in a string of disturbing behaviour by the agency

In a statement to MailOnline on Monday, the TSA said it is committed to treating all passengers with respect and courtesy, and when a pat down is required, to do it as efficiently and unobtrusively as possible'.

The statement went on: 'In this case, the passenger chose to receive a pat down rather than be screened using Millimeter Wave technology. She was offered the opportunity to move to a private screening room, but declined.

'Although TSA has not been contacted by this passenger, an internal review shows that our officer took extra time and care to explain the process before screening and during the pat down. The passenger completed the screening process and proceeded to the gate to board her flight'.



The TSA has come under intense scrutiny for the pat-down and body scanner policy in recent years, especially in the age of YouTube.

Ordeal: As the agent leaves, the woman hunches over with her arms across her chest in humiliation

Last month, a clip on the video-sharing site showed a terrified eight-year-old boy confined to a wheelchair, trembling with fear as he was subjected to an invasive TSA pat-down.

Also last month, a new mom was forced to show security her freshly pumped breast milk before she could board a plane with a breast pump.



In February, a mother claimed she was subjected to repeated body scans after being told by agency employees that she 'had a cute figure'.

These followed incidents last year, where TSA agents allegedly helped themselves to cake in a flier's bag, and confiscated another's cupcake.

Extra eyes: The TSA has come under scrutiny in the age of the internet over several incidents, some of which have been caught on tape and spread via sites like YouTube

In December, Indiana rapper Freddie Gibbs was flying to a gig in Denver with two large bags of marijuana in his bag.

But instead of confiscating it, the agent who inspected the bag instead left a note saying, 'C'mon son'.

That same month, not one but two grandmothers came forward to say that they were mortified when they were ordered to be strip-searched during a security screening.



A TSA agent was fired in October after New York writer and lawyer Jill Filipovic found a note in her luggage (which contained a vibrator) that said: 'Get your freak on girl'.

In May 2011, a bizarre photograph showing a baby being frisked by airport security caused outrage after it was posted online.



THE TSA'S GREATEST HITS: A HISTORY OF BIZARRE BEHAVIOUR

Last month, a YouTube clip showed a terrified eight-year-old boy confined to a wheelchair, trembling with fear as he was subjected to an invasive TSA pat-down as he cries to his dad.

Also last month, new mom Amy Strand was forced to show security her freshly pumped breast milk before she could board a plane with a breast pump.

In February, Ellen Terrell claimed she was subjected to repeated body scans after being told by agency employees that she 'had a cute figure'.

In January, two TSA agents were out of the the job and jailed after they admitted to stealing $40,000 from a checked bag at JFK Airport in New York.

That same month, the agency was forced to apologise after two grandmothers in their 80s were subjected to mortifying strip searches.



Joe Maltese told MailOnline in December that cake in his luggage on a recent flight had a slice missing, allegedly taken by hungry bag-checkers.

Also in December, Indiana rapper Freddie Gibbs got away with smuggling some pot on a flight, but not without a handwritten TSA message: 'C'mon son'.

Jenni 'J-Woww' Farley is known for brawls with her Jersey Shore castmates, but she took on the TSA in November when she complained on her Twitter account that she was 'treated like a criminal' when patted down during a trip to South Dakota.



In October, a TSA agent was dismissed from the job after leaving writer Jill Filipovic a similar handwritten note saying 'Get your freak on girl' in a bag that also contained a vibrator.

In August 2011, the agency was accused of racism after targeting the hair of two black women at airports in Seattle and San Antonio.



In May 2011, a photo made the rounds on the internet that showed - of all people - an infant being frisked by a thorough TSA agent.

