(CNN) A man convicted of sexually assaulting a sleeping woman on an overnight flight from Las Vegas to Detroit was sentenced on Thursday to nine years in prison, according to federal prosecutors.

Prabhu Ramamoorthy, 35, was convicted in August of sexual abuse onboard an aircraft. Jurors deliberated for less than four hours before returning the guilty verdict.

Authorities say that during an Spirit Airlines flight in January, Ramamoorthy put his hand down the pants of the woman sitting next to him and molested her while she slept.

"The sexual assault woke her up, she found her pants unbuttoned and unzipped, and she sought help from the flight attendants," according to a statement from the US Attorney's Office

Ramamoorthy was taken into custody when the flight landed.

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