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.