ATLANTA – The end of a family trip to the US capital took a horrific turn on August 4, when Lauren Benton and her family showed up for their Delta Air Lines flight at Washington Dulles International Airport and, she says, a man got too close to them.

“I would even go so far as to say they are stalking us,” she said.

Benton said they noticed the man after they went through security. She said he followed the family of four to a seating area and at some point joined Benton and one of her young daughters in the women’s restroom.

“My heart was racing and my attention immediately went to my children,” Benton said. “Where are they? And I need to keep them close to me now.”

Eventually, they were about to board their Delta flight to Atlanta, but then the situation took a turn for the worse. The man followed them onto the plane and sat right next to them.

“I questioned his intentions the whole time and I know child trafficking is definitely a growing problem here in the United States and that was the first thing that came to mind,” Benton said.

She says she reported him to a flight attendant and he was eventually removed from the plane because he shouldn’t have been allowed to board. Officials confirmed the passenger had a ticket, but not for this Delta flight.

Airport officials said no charges were filed against the passenger.

Lauren Benton says she and her family were followed at Washington Dulles International Airport, and the person even followed them onto a Delta Air Lines plane even though they did not have a boarding pass for that flight. (Included in delivery)

The airline told FOX 5 that it is investigating the case. In a statement, it said: “Delta has procedures in place for gate agents and flight crew to verify prior to departure that the individuals on board the aircraft are in fact customers booked on that particular flight. Delta is reviewing the matter internally and has been in contact with airport authorities in connection with that review.”

“I was shocked and sickened. I couldn’t believe the magnitude of this breach,” Benton said.

Benton says her sense of safety at the airport was shattered and she hopes others will be aware of the situation.

“If your gut tells you something is wrong, don’t be afraid to speak up,” she said.

Benton says her young daughters are scared afterward. She’s frustrated by the lack of response here and says Delta needs to do more.

This story is reported from Atlanta