Police: Drunk Man May Have Posed as TSA and Given Women Private Pat Downs

A 53-year-old man was arrested at San Francisco International airport this week on suspicion of public intoxication after he allegedly caused a disturbance by impersonating a security officer and bringing women into a private security screening room. 

Airport police officers responded to the security checkpoint at the international terminal around 12:30 p.m. Tuesday on a report of a man causing a disturbance, according to the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office. 

Eric Slighton, a dual resident of San Francisco and Hong Kong, was arrested there after officers determined that he was "exhibiting the signs and symptoms of public intoxication," San Mateo Sheriff's Spokeswoman Deputy Rebecca Rosenblatt said in a statement issued Thursday afternoon. 

He was booked at San Mateo County Jail and released on $10,000 bail that he posted that night, according to Rosenblatt-- who added that the sheriff's office isn't releasing his booking photo at this time.

Sheriff's detectives are also investigating allegations that Slighton motioned women into a private screening room under the guise of a security officer, she said.

"As of this time, no victims have stepped forward or been identified however the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office is working with allied agencies to identify which flights any possible victims may have taken or to which locations they may have flown," Rosenblatt said.

The U.S. Transportation Security Agency also issued a statement Thursday that said, "TSA is aware of the alleged incident and is cooperating with law enforcement."  
 
CBS SF Bay area reports that Slighton was wearing a blue polo shirt and khaki pants, and "... may have swiped plastic blue gloves to look the part." 

"Real TSA agents became suspicious of the man when he was seen ushering another woman into the private screening area, because men are only allowed to screen women in the booths if a female agent is present," CBS reports. 
 
The incident did not involve any TSA or Covenant Aviation Security employees who work at the international checkpoint. Covenant is a private security firm that is contracted by the federal government to provide passenger and baggage screening at SFO. 

San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said Slighton is scheduled to be arraigned on Aug. 18 in Redwood City. 

On the Aktis Hanxi Group website, an international banking and investment firm based out of Hong Kong, the company lists Slighton as the director and partner of Aktis Capital Singapore. 

On his online biography it states that Slighton was the managing director of Barclays Capitol in Hong Kong before coming to Aktis, and he also was previously the managing director at Deutsche Bank in Hong Kong, among other positions. 

It also lists him as co-founder and CEO of ComMira e-Solutions, a software company based out of San Francisco. 

Slighton's Facebook page states that he attended a private K-12 school in Princeton, New Jersey. 

His LinkedIn profile lists his location as Hong Kong and describes him as working in banking.  
 
 
 
– Bay City News Service contributed to this report.