An American Airlines flight attendant was arrested Thursday for allegedly secretly recording a young woman using his cell phone while on a flight he was working on, the most recent incident on a flight to Boston in September 2023. woke up.
Estes Carter Thompson III, 37, of Charlotte, North Carolina, was charged with attempted sexual exploitation of a child and possession of child pornography depicting prepubescent minors, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) said. Announced.
He was arrested Thursday in Lynchburg, Virginia, and will remain in custody pending the outcome of a court appearance in the Western District of Virginia, the Department of Justice announced. Mr. Thompson is scheduled to appear in federal court in Boston at a later date.
“The deeply disturbing conduct alleged here is something that no parent or child should ever have to worry about while traveling. Mr. “He allegedly preyed on and secretly videotaped innocent children, including unaccompanied minors, while he was doing his job,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “Everyone, especially children, should feel safe and secure as passengers on an airplane, and parents should feel comfortable traveling with their children. Protecting children is the responsibility of this office. “This is a top priority for us and we will aggressively investigate and hold accountable those who victimize children.”
American Airlines passenger furious after punching and kicking flight attendant and spitting at police officer
FILE – In this photo provided by the law firm Lewis & Llewellyn LLP, an iPhone is taped to the back of a toilet seat on an American Airlines flight from Charlotte, North Carolina, to Boston on Sept. 2, 2023. . On June 18, 2024, police arrested Estes Carter Thompson III, 37, of Charlotte, North Carolina, an American Airlines flight attendant, on a plane he was working on when a 14-year-old female passenger was using the restroom. He was arrested on suspicion of secretly recording or attempting to record. In September of last year. (Lewis & Llewellyn LLP, via AP, File)
According to the Department of Justice, Thompson attempted to record a 14-year-old female passenger using the on-board restroom on September 2, 2023, while working as a flight attendant on an American Airlines flight from Charlotte to Boston. suspected.
The teenager got up to use the main cabin bathroom during the flight, but the bathroom was occupied. While waiting to use the restroom, Thompson told her that the first-class restroom was available, and she accompanied him there.
The Justice Department said Thompson told her she needed to wash her hands before entering the first-class restroom, adding that the seat was broken.
When Thompson left the restroom, the girl came in and found writing on the underside of the open toilet seat that said things like “malfunctioning food service,” “out of service,” and “toilet seat broken.” I saw a red sticker attached to it.
Estes Carter Thompson III is accused of recording videos of minors in the bathroom of the plane he was working on. (Lynchburg Detention Center)
The Justice Department alleges Thompson hid an iPhone under the sticker to record the girl.
The victim took an iPhone photo of the red sticker before leaving.
Thompson then allegedly immediately went into the bathroom.
After the girl returned to her seat, she showed the photo to her parents, who relayed the incident to other flight attendants who then alerted the captain.
NTSB warns Alaska Airlines flight explosion could have been a 'completely different' scenario
An American Airlines flight attendant has been arrested for allegedly recording a young woman using the toilet on the plane he was working on. (St. Petersburg)
The girl's father allegedly confronted Thompson on the plane, and the Justice Department said Thompson went to the bathroom and locked himself inside with his iPhone for three to five minutes before the plane descended.
The captain reported the incident to law enforcement authorities, and Thompson was arrested when the plane landed at Boston's Logan Airport.
Law enforcement officials reported that Thompson's cell phone may have been reset to factory settings before being taken into custody.
The Justice Department alleges that the suspect's suitcase contained 11 “inoperative food service” stickers, similar to those affixed to the back of a toilet seat.
Authorities searched Thompson's iCloud account and allegedly discovered four instances between January and August 2023 in which he recorded minors using the on-board toilet. The ages of the victims were 7, 9, 11, and 14.
The suspect also allegedly had more than 50 images of an unaccompanied 9-year-old minor stored on his iCloud, including one of the child sleeping in a seat. .
The Justice Department also alleged that Thompson's iCloud account contained hundreds of AI-generated pornographic images.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
American Airlines told Fox News Digital: “We take these allegations very seriously. These allegations do not reflect our airline or our core mission of caring for people. ” he said. “Nothing is more important than the safety and security of our customers and teams, so we have fully cooperated with law enforcement in their investigation.”
If convicted, Thompson faces 15 to 30 years in prison for attempted sexual exploitation of a child and 5 to 20 years for possession of child pornography depicting prepubescent minors. You may be sentenced to imprisonment.
He could also face five years to life of supervised release and up to $250,000 in fines and restitution.
