On Thursday, a former flight attendant of American Airlines faced criminal charges for allegedly using his phone to covertly record a young girl in the bathroom of a plane, according to federal prosecutors.
The incident occurred during a flight from Charlotte, North Carolina, to Boston on September 2, 2023. The girl discovered the iPhone taped to the toilet seat, partially hidden by a sticker claiming the seat was broken, officials reported.
The accused, 36-year-old Estes Carter Thompson III, was arrested by the FBI and faces charges of attempted sexual exploitation of children and possessing child pornography that includes a prepubescent minor, as stated by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Boston.
Further investigation revealed videos of four additional underage girls in airplane bathrooms, all recorded in planes where Thompson was on duty.
Following the incident, American Airlines immediately suspended Thompson, who has not been in service since. The airline emphasized the seriousness of these allegations, stating they do not represent the company’s values or commitment to passenger care, and confirmed their full cooperation with the investigation.
Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy described the allegations as “deeply disturbing,” highlighting the vulnerability of travelers, particularly minors traveling alone, under such circumstances.
A lawsuit was filed against the airline by the family of the 14-year-old girl involved in the September incident. Additionally, videos of four other girls, aged 7 to 14, were found in Thompson’s iCloud account, recorded between January 26 and August 23 of the previous year, as per an FBI affidavit.
As of the latest updates, there was no attorney listed for Thompson in federal court records.
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Thompson is currently detained, awaiting an initial court appearance in West Virginia. The charge of attempted sexual exploitation of children carries a potential prison sentence of 15 to 30 years upon conviction, while the possession charge could result in 5 to 20 years of imprisonment, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
