Senator Rand Paul's teenage son arrested on alcohol charges

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina (Reuters) - The 19-year-old son of Senator Rand Paul and grandson of former Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul faced charges in North Carolina after a weekend arrest on allegations of underage alcohol consumption and disorderly conduct.

Police arrested William Hilton Paul on Saturday at the Charlotte Douglas International Airport, where he had arrived on a US Airways flight from Kentucky, the state his father represents in the Senate.

Jail records show the younger Paul was booked on three misdemeanor charges, including disorderly conduct, consuming alcohol while underage and being intoxicated and disruptive.

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department did not release additional details on Monday regarding the circumstances of his arrest.

A spokesman for US Airways said there was a "passenger disruption" on the flight in question but that it did not result from alcohol being served by the airline.

"Our reports indicate that the passenger slept through the drink service and was not served on board at all," spokesman Andrew Christie said on Monday, without naming the passenger involved.

Rand Paul, a Republican, is Kentucky's junior senator. His office asked for privacy on the matter of his son.

"Senator Paul is a national public figure and subject to scrutiny in the public arena, however, as many parents with teenagers would understand, his family should be afforded the privacy and respect they deserve in a situation such as this," said Moira Bagley, his communications director.

(Reporting by Colleen Jenkins; Editing by Cynthia Johnston and Claudia Parsons)